The Final Flame
by tonkotsu shoyu
Summary: The war wrote Team 7 into legend, but some stories were never told. Like how Sakura learned to cook, or how Naruto became a best-selling author. Or, more specifically, the five times Sasuke came home, and the one time he didn't want to leave. Team 7, life after Ch.700.
1. Prologue: The Way We Are Now

I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. Spoilers for end of manga, The Last and Boruto movies.

Cover art by i-azu and posted with permission (link to awesome original on profile page).

* * *

 **The Final Flame**

Prologue: The Way We Are Now

OoOoO

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," she said flatly, right before Naruto crushed her against his chest.

"Yo, Sakura-chan! Wow, you're up early. Can we crash here tonight? Cool? _Cool._ See, teme—told you she'd be fine with it. Oh, do you have any leftovers? I'm starving."

Naruto was wrong. She wasn't waking up—she had been awake for nearly twenty hours, running on too much caffeine for no good reason. So by all means, a hallucination was perfectly normal. It had to be. Because Sakura specifically remembered bidding the boys goodbye at the end of her shift with her usual threat to rearrange their remaining limbs if they did anything _stupid_.

This definitely qualified.

"Uzumaki Naruto, I _told_ you not to do anything stupid!" she hissed, grabbing his ear.

"Eh—ow, ow, ow! I didn't!"

"What else do you call showing up on my doorstep at four in the morning with only two arms between the two of you? _Hmm_?"

"Ahh, it'll be two arms and three ears at this rate," Naruto whined, flailing against Sakura's grip. "Come on, have mercy! The food sucks. They don't let us spar and the bed's too soft. And I missed you."

If Naruto thought the helpless urchin card would sway her motherly instincts… he would be absolutely correct. But even among mothers, Sakura was a hard-ass. "Hmph. They'll never put ramen on the menu, you're still recovering, and you've never complained about any type of flat surface before."

"So you don't miss me?"

"Try that on someone who doesn't see you every day."

Naruto made an arching gesture at his body, which he probably meant to look climatic but failed entirely thanks to Sakura's death grip. "I'm perfectly healthy! Look!"

"You lost an _arm_ , Naruto."

" _Just_ an arm."

As soon as it was out, Naruto grimaced. She caught the meek look he shot her, and it felt ridiculous because it wasn't _her_ arm that was missing. She wasn't the one who had bled out on that broken ground for hours, waiting for someone to stitch together what was left. She shouldn't be the one upset.

But, somehow, she was.

Sakura pulled Naruto's ear one more time, then let him go. Naruto didn't wince. "There is no 'just' about that, baka," she muttered.

"Yeah," Naruto said quietly. "Sorry."

Sakura half-heartedly punched his shoulder for good measure. But if Naruto was still alive to apologise for stupid things, she could forgive him for leaving her with the phantom throb of his slowing heart in her hand at night. "You know, I was going to discharge you tomorrow anyway. But I think I've changed my mind."

"Whatever you say. Aw man, Sakura-chan, don't look like that. C'mere."

Naruto's hugs still felt the same: warm, secure and sincere. So much about Naruto's actions came straight from the heart that perhaps, to him, it really was just an arm. But to Sakura, that arm was half the hard work her best friend had put in over years. She should have been there.

She took in a breath, then sighed. "Don't just stand out there, Sasuke-kun. Come in."

Naruto released her with a grin. "Oops, forgot about you. Check this place out. Sai and I painted the walls."

And a sloppy job it was. Sakura didn't say anything because, deep down, she loved those walls. She liked tracking the uneven brush strokes on her ceiling every morning, picturing Sai chipping away with his tiny brush and Naruto's clones sloshing cans everywhere. She'd meant to ask who had painted which rooms and opened her mouth to do just that. Then Sasuke stepped into the light.

He looked more dishevelled than Naruto, which confirmed two things: that the Kyuubi was still looking out for Naruto, and that most of the nurses were still afraid to be in Sasuke's space. The last time Sakura had felt protective of Sasuke, she had just decided she must be the one to kill him. The thought had held as she stood outside his hospital room, clenching her fists, and when it came down to it, she didn't tell the nurses off. She just knocked, greeted him like any other patient, and changed his bandages herself. In turn, he treated her like any other medic on duty.

Except now, they weren't meeting in the hospital. This was her apartment, her home.

Sasuke stepped out of his hospital slippers and set them neatly beside Naruto's scattered pair, then straightened. He didn't seem interested in studying her apartment, which was a relief. Instead, he looked straight at Sakura and nodded. She smiled faintly back, suddenly grateful for Konoha's Best Distraction foraging through her pantry.

"Hey, Sakura, where's your ramen?"

"What makes you think you're allowed to eat anything instant under my roof?"

"Um, the fact that you love me?"

Sakura pulled open the fridge. "Nice try. Take your pick."

Naruto looked horrified. "You're feeding us _fruit_? We're pitiful patients here—how are we going to get our nutrients?"

"You're the last person to be talking about nutrients. If Jiraiya-sama hadn't shovelled proper food into you for three years, you probably wouldn't have grown at all."

"Whatcha talking about? All the geezer did was flirt high and low. I fed myself." Naruto leaned over and whispered to Sasuke, "Just to put it out there—Sakura can't cook."

"I heard that!"

"It's true though—remember those energy snacks you made me? I thought my tastebuds were paralysed for life…"

Fine, so she lacked in the domestic department. The moment Tsunade agreed to take her as an apprentice, Sakura had bid farewell to her girlhood dreams of becoming the perfect housewife. She still didn't regret it. Most of the time. "If they were that bad, why did you scoff them down like candy?"

"Because I'm a gentleman and I love you… and you would've snapped me in half if I spit it back out."

Sakura opened her mouth indignantly, but just then a cupboard clicked shut behind her. She and Naruto spun around to find Sasuke holding a frying pan. Sakura blinked several times, struggling to process the scene in front of her.

Uchiha Sasuke was in her kitchen. With a blunt instrument.

Sasuke set the pan on the stove, then opened a drawer and rummaged for a while. Naruto cleared his throat. "Uh, Sasuke? What are you doing?"

"I don't keep kunai in the kitchen," Sakura added warily.

"Truth. She hides them in summoning seals under the table. And she sticks shuriken behind the wall clock."

"I do not." She totally did.

Sasuke looked up. His eyes knifed straight into Sakura's, and he uttered one word: "Eggs?"

Her eyebrows shot up.

" _Eggs_ ," Naruto repeated, frowning. "You mean the yummy round stuff chooks poop out."

"You have something to say, dobe?"

"Well, no—actually, yes. Are you going to _cook_?"

Sasuke clicked his tongue and took a whisk— _her_ whisk, Sakura realised—out of the drawer. His gaze flickered back to her, and he asked once more—"Eggs?"

A glimpse of the Rinnegan beneath his bangs snapped Sakura back to her senses. She still didn't know what the hell was going on, but gawking like a fish wasn't helping. She opened the fridge and took out three eggs. Sasuke held a bowl out to her. How the hell did Uchiha Sasuke know his way around her kitchen?

He grunted impatiently.

Shaking her head, Sakura cracked the eggs into the bowl. Sasuke set it on the counter and started whisking with one hand. Five seconds later, he stopped. "What?" he said flatly.

Sakura realised she had been hovering at his elbow, trying to peek over his shoulder. Embarrassed, she stepped back—and knocked into Naruto. He'd had the same idea and, now that he had gotten over his shock, he seemed to be getting other ideas. "How about omelette rice?" he suggested.

"Hn. Too long to make."

"Dude, you're a Katon user. Don't tell me you can't boil rice in three minutes."

"Do you have cup ramen for brains?"

"What? It's a good idea!"

She couldn't help it—she laughed.

Naruto and Sasuke turned to her. The expression on their faces—annoyance on Sasuke's, bemusement on Naruto's—made Sakura snort even harder. "Sorry," she gasped, raising a shaking hand. "Don't mind me."

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto cocked his head, and then his eyes widened. "Are you crying?"

She was. Crap. "It was a yawn! I'm okay."

"No, you're not," Naruto huffed. "Damn it, bastard. Stop making Sakura-chan cry."

"I didn't do a thing," Sasuke scowled, and it was such a nostalgic sight that Sakura accidentally sobbed.

"See? It's your fault!" Naruto howled. He pulled Sakura into his chest and tried to wipe her tears—except he forgot about his arm, and his empty jacket sleeve brushed her cheek.

Sakura started bawling.

"Oh, shit. S-Sakura-chan? Hey, it's okay— _Sasuke, do something_!"

A long pause. Then— "Katon: Gou—"

" _I don't mean burn the kitchen down!"_

They were a complete mess, but Sakura loved them so much it took her breath away.

* * *

When he opened his eyes that morning, Naruto thought they were back in the Valley of the End. Just for a moment. And for another moment, he had tried to lift his right arm to shield his eyes. Now, standing under the Hokage Monument with the sun in his eyes, he made the same mistake.

Sakura noticed, and shook her head amusedly. _Just an arm_? she mouthed. Drats. She wasn't going to let him live that down. He stuck his tongue out.

Between them, Sasuke was annoyingly silent as always. Trying to shield him from the village's cautious glances ended up having the opposite effect; with Naruto and Sakura's newfound fame, Sasuke would have drawn less attention if they had just left him to stand at the very edge of the crowd, alone.

But that wasn't the point, was it?

Up on the platform, Tsunade lowered a white hat on Kakashi's head. And when he looked down at the village, Naruto could've sworn those dark eyes landed on the three of them.

"My first act as the Sixth Hokage is to ask that the Hidden Leaf Village take a minute of silence to honour all the shinobi who fought in the Fourth Great Ninja War…"

Naruto hoped Kakashi was the last Kage to ever say those words. Inauguration Day was supposed to be filled with parades and fireworks. No one should be wearing black robes on such a day.

Sakura had bought the robes for him and Sasuke. After eating Sasuke's omelette rice in silence, she'd whipped out a tape measure and made them stand against a wall. "Did you grow again, Naruto?" she'd wondered aloud. "When did your shoulders get so wide?"

"Ichiraku's Super-Sized Naruto Special!"

The tape measure bounced off the back of his head.

Sakura was suspiciously quiet when she measured Sasuke. It took Naruto a while to realise it wasn't because she had nothing to say; she didn't know where to start. Hell, he wouldn't have known either. The only way to compare Sasuke was to recall what he'd been like three years ago, before it all went wrong—and to be honest Naruto didn't remember all that well.

He wished he could forget Neji dying in his arms just as easily.

The funeral was the one occasion where Naruto could not allow himself to take the backseat. As he made to move, Sakura tugged his arm and tucked a handkerchief into his hand. Then she gently pushed him forward. Naruto reached the front of the service without hassle; everyone parted for him. No jeers, no sneers, no glares of disapproval. That was going to take some getting used to, but he wasn't thinking about that right now.

Hinata looked up when he held the handkerchief out to her. Naruto gave her his best grin. She smiled back. He stayed at her shoulder throughout the proceedings, though they were far from alone. When it came time to say last words, Naruto looked around and found them surrounded by their classmates.

"Look at that," Kiba cracked half-heartedly, as Hinata's sister passed white flowers down the line. "You clean up pretty well, Naruto. So your skin isn't orange after all."

"And it turns out you don't always smell like wet dog," Naruto returned fondly.

"You've done something with your hair, Sakura," Ino observed, twirling her flower. "Could it be… you _washed_ it?"

"Of course I did," Sakura replied dryly. "I couldn't just sit around when I thought about how much time you would spend covering up those eye bags. You did a terrible job, by the way."

"Aww, you're so sweet." Ino's voice became soft. "You know who had the best hair? Neji."

Lee nodded vigorously, flinging tears into the air like raindrops.

Tenten said, "He told me he sat under the fountain in his clan's courtyard every morning… must be something in the water."

Shikamaru shrugged. "It's always something in the water."

"Nee-sama…?" Hanabi asked.

Naruto turned around, just in time to see Hinata hold out a flower to Sasuke. And boy did Sasuke look confused. Had the two of them ever even spoken to each other before?

"Why?" Sasuke asked simply.

Hinata spoke slowly, but clearly. "The Neji-niisan I loved didn't hold grudges… I-I think he would be happy to see you together with us again."

"Don't be so sure about that," he warned.

Hinata smiled wanly. "If you don't mind, I'll take my chances. Will you join us, Sasuke-kun?"

And that was how the quietest person Naruto knew overpowered his strongest rival. Sasuke just took the flower and _followed_ , silently squeezing in between him and Sakura. Holy crap. Hinata let out a little breath as she reclaimed her spot on Naruto's other side, and even though he knew Hiashi was watching just metres away, Naruto couldn't resist leaning over and whispering, "You are such a badass, Hinata!"

"P-Pardon me?"

Naruto opened his mouth to repeat, but Kiba spoke up. "This feels like the Chuunin Exams all over again, huh?"

Lee sniffled unintelligibly.

"Ah!" Ino stared down the line. "Come to think of it, don't we still have two genin here?"

Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other.

"J-Just wait till I'm Hokage! I'll jump ahead of all of you!"

"Can a genin even do that? Redo the exams like the rest of us did, you cheat!"

"I'm the most outstanding genin in the world, okay? I'll show you!" Naruto huffed as the others snickered. But already, the mood had changed. Naruto looked at Neji's name on the cold stone, and made another promise there and then. "I'm not doing the exams again. It wouldn't be the same. Three years ago, fighting in that arena with Neji… that was it for me. If we could go back and try for chuunin all together again—I'd still choose to fight Neji. And I'd kick his ass all over again. But I can't choose that anymore… so I won't."

There was a shuffle. Kiba had pressed Hinata's face into his shoulder; her knuckles were pale, clenched around the handkerchief. They'd been that colour when she had touched his cheek on the battlefield, Neji's body between them. She'd been crying then, too, hadn't she?

Naruto placed his flower on the grave and stepped back. "Rest easy, Neji. Next life, I'm going to make jounin before you. Believe it."

He had promised Neji he would change the Hyuuga clan—but now, after all this, it felt like they had changed him.

* * *

Hiding from his students required much more effort nowadays.

"There he is!" Naruto yelled as everyone filed out of the cemetery. "Oi, Kakashi-sensei, you made me lose a bet! You were supposed to take that silly mask off once you became Hokage."

Leaning against the cemetery gates, Kakashi lifted a hand. "My bad. I'm a shy soul."

"Not when it comes to ladies, you're not." Naruto grinned and slapped his palm. Kakashi wondered for a moment if his once-shortest student was actually close to outgrowing him. As if he didn't feel old enough already.

"Sensei, congratulations." Sakura beamed at him. "Wow, that hat looks huge on you. So I guess I shouldn't have to patch you up anymore, now that you're stuck in an office?"

Kakashi slumped. "Ever so cruel, Sakura. You used to be cute and obedient. Then Tsunade-sama came along and corrupted you."

"Don't be jealous. You know you'll always be my first mentor."

"That has a nice ring to it." Kakashi ruffled Sakura's hair. She'd never been quite as transparent as Naruto, or as impenetrable as Sasuke. That was what made her Kakashi's favourite—she was his constant. Nowadays, Sakura was everyone's constant; somewhere along the way, that frivolous young girl had become the team's true north. And on the other end of the spectrum… "Yo," Kakashi greeted.

Sasuke nodded back at him.

For all the years and differences in between, they could easily have been a jounin instructor and his genin. Instead, they were the Rokudaime Hokage and a missing-nin. How had that happened?

Kakashi tucked his hands into his pockets, closing his fingers around the bells he'd taken off his belt for the inauguration. Sasuke was the first genin to leave fingerprints on those bells. That made him, and everything he had done, Kakashi's responsibility.

Yeet it was Sasuke who spoke first. "I need to talk to you."

Kakashi arched an eyebrow. "So do I." From the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto and Sakura share a puzzled look. Once again, Sasuke was the only one on the same page as Kakashi. Some things did not change. Kakashi jerked his head. "Care for a walk? No black cats, I promise."

Sasuke's lips twitched.

Obito had it right all along; the road of life was incredibly easy to get lost on. And who could you really blame for that?

* * *

In the end, they reacted exactly as he predicted.

Naruto exploded. _"He what?!"_

Sasuke set his chopsticks down. Sakura had ordered takeout for dinner and somehow filled the table with his and Naruto's favourite foods. Before that, Sasuke didn't even think he had a preference anymore. "Stop overreacting. You're ruining my appetite."

"I am not overreacting! He can't do that. What is he _thinking_?" Naruto shook his head and stood. "I'm going to talk to him."

"Naruto, wait." Sakura gripped the back of his jacket.

"Don't try to stop me, Sakura-chan—"

"I'm coming with you."

Naruto's fierce scowl melted into a grin. "Okay. Race ya."

Sasuke sighed and let them go. In reality, he didn't let them go so much as watched them disappear before he could react. He admitted it—he was surprised. He used to be the quickest out of them.

He still was. Narrowly.

He waited for them at the stairs to Hokage Tower. Two breaths after he alighted, Sakura came into view, tucking windblown hair behind her ear. She noticed Sasuke immediately, and frowned. There was irritation there—a competitive streak. He did not expect that from her.

Naruto appeared next to her, rubbing his knee. "We're having a rematch, Sakura-chan."

"It's not my fault you jumped into a billboard."

"It's dark and I'm off balance!"

"Then compensate, dobe," Sasuke called.

Naruto whipped around and twitched. He jabbed a finger in shock. "You! How did you get here so fast?"

Sasuke looked down at them from the top of the stairs. Funny how their eyes stood out so stark in the night. With his back to the moonlight, Sasuke was sure Naruto and Sakura couldn't make out his own eyes. Good. "Don't try to change Kakashi's mind. Even if you do, you can't change mine."

He didn't miss their glance at each other. So they had done more than sprint on the way over. He had to admit; these two had surprised him a great deal in a short time. "Looks like you were right, Sakura-chan," Naruto grumbled. He thrust a hand into his hair, glaring up at Sasuke. "So you're really going to walk into a cell tomorrow and let ANBU lock you up? After everything?"

"It will only last until the council comes to a decision. They'll release me after that."

"What's the point? Kakashi-sensei and Baa-chan said they would wipe your slate clean, didn't they? The war's over. Everyone is united and they'll forgive—"

"Listen to yourself, Naruto," Sasuke cut in. "Are you still that naïve?"

Naruto gritted his teeth, scowling. "Fine. So some people look at you weird. I've had that for sixteen years. It gets better. You don't need to lock yourself up just to prove a point."

"I couldn't care less what the villagers think of me. The politics don't matter to me." Sasuke narrowed his eyes, shook his head. "Don't you get it? I need this."

Naruto's mouth hung open for several seconds. "You need to be locked in a cold cell," he clarified. "To what—make up for all the trouble you put everyone through? Because no offence, Sasuke, you're going to need to do a lot more than that."

"You think I don't know that?"

"I dunno," Naruto mumbled. "Do you?"

Now only Sakura was looking at him. Sasuke wasn't accustomed to how sharp her gaze was. She never used to look him so directly in the eye. Softly, she said, "You're planning to leave Konoha anyway. Aren't you, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke never considered himself predictable, but at that moment, he felt strangely exposed.

Naruto's head snapped up. "Seriously?"

A sigh hissed between his lips. "I can't stay here," Sasuke muttered.

"Why not?" Naruto demanded. Wide blue eyes searched his; there was such frustration in them Sasuke wondered how the idiot could still afford to care about him so much. Especially when Naruto made to cross his arms and flushed when he remembered he couldn't. "Konoha is your home. We're _family_."

He should've known the idiot would bring out that word. "The whole shinobi world is family to you, Naruto. I don't feel the same."

"Bastard—"

"I can't try to care about a world I haven't seen with my own two eyes."

Naruto's mouth snapped shut with a click. He frowned. "Is that what your goal is now? To care?"

"No." Sasuke paused. "To see _._ "

Naruto threw up his hands and turned helplessly to Sakura. She had stood beside him with her hands behind her back, watching them with a curious expression. In the deep recess of his mind, Sasuke remembered a time when every day had passed in this manner: the two of them neck to neck, Sakura pushing them apart. She'd always taken his side, even when he was in the wrong. How the tables had turned.

Sakura looked between Naruto and Sasuke, and sighed. "Make sure you pack warm clothes. I have a feeling you don't plan to go somewhere sunny."

Sasuke blinked.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto protested.

"What? You know he won't take care of himself properly." She turned to Naruto—even though her words were simple, her gaze was not. Sasuke noticed how they were always watching each other, following leads with simple glances. "You— _we_ kept our promise, Naruto. We brought Sasuke back, but I think we always knew we couldn't keep him." She paused. "Well, actually, I _could_ break his legs in places that won't heal, but that goes completely against my medic code."

"It doesn't go against _mine_ ," Naruto grumbled.

"He came back," Sakura said softly. "Isn't that what matters most?"

Naruto wrung his arm like he wanted to punch something. Sakura offered an open palm. Naruto took one look at it, growled deep in his chest, and the frustration seemed to seep out of him. He sagged. "… Do whatever you want, teme. You always have."

Sasuke didn't think he ever needed anyone's permission. Yet, seeing those two smiling resignedly at him, something in his chest unknotted. "Hypocrite," he snorted, starting down the steps towards them.

Naruto tucked his arm behind his head as they fell into step. "I guess Kakashi-sensei needs to take responsibility for you somehow. The other countries aren't after your head anymore, but you sure as hell aren't their favourite customer. Not like they could really tie you up, the way things are. It's more the idea that you let ANBU take you in without a fight. Shows that you've really turned a new leaf? Or something. Maybe seeing you behind bars for a bit will give everyone an easier time."

A length of silence. Then Sakura laughed. " _Wow_."

"Hm," Sasuke agreed.

"What?"

"Konoha's biggest knucklehead has developed _foresight_." Sakura elbowed Naruto, making him yelp and stagger. "You are totally counting down the days until Kakashi-sensei retires."

"Why does it sound like you only just realised I've got brains?"

"Because they weren't there before?"

"That hurts, Sakura-chan!"

"What do you think, Sasuke-kun?" Now Sakura was looking at him. For once, it was with an unguarded expression. She grinned. "Konoha with Naruto as Hokage? What do you think of that?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. When he had arrived on the battlefield and announced he was after the same title, Sakura had frowned at him. He'd watched her surprise and hope fall into hostile disbelief, and he had realised then that Naruto already had people who would follow him anywhere. There they had stood, a jinchuuriki and the Uchiha survivor; so alike, yet so, so different.

In another world, another time, their roles might have been reversed. Another destiny, another person away, Sasuke might even have been happy.

He turned away. "It would turn out just like it was always meant to."

Naruto balked. "Ehh? What kind of fortune-telling mumbo is that? What do you mean? Oi, don't think you can run off! Sasuke!"

Strange. Right now, in this world with these two fools at his back, Sasuke did not feel unhappy.

* * *

A/N: Welcome to the bottom of the page! Kudos for making it all the way down here. A little about me and this story: I'm an old Naruto fanfic writer blindsided by throes of nostalgia when the series ended. While I enjoyed the movies and accept Kishimoto's canon, I didn't like how The Last filled in the years after the last manga chapter. Where were my emotional Team 7 fluffy moments?! What happened to everyone else? That's when this story started breeding plot bunnies. It's basically me trying to join the dots after chapter 700, writing over The Last. Which means, sadly, no epic fights on the moon's surface.

This story is a spot of fun, but also a lot of gratitude for an awesome cast of characters. Please drop me a note if you liked (or didn't, that's okay too!) what you read. Until the next chapter—tonkotsu shoyu, out!


	2. Bonds

**The Final Flame**

Chapter 1: Bonds

OoOoO

 _Ten Months Later_

OoOoO

It was sound in theory. Wonderful, indisputable, logical—and by all means, Sakura liked to think she was pretty darn logical. Most days.

Today clearly was not one of those days.

"Would it be unprofessional to challenge the Kazekage to a friendly spar?" she asked suddenly.

"You're _that_ bored?"

"Just asking."

"Right," her companion replied sceptically. "Well, as far as I'm concerned, professionalism isn't the problem. Did your last psych exam come up suicidal?"

With a snort, Sakura lifted her head from her knees. "Thanks, Temari. My ego really needed that boost."

"You're most welcome, Haruno." Then there was a clear laugh. "I'm kidding. After seeing you punch down a goddess, I'd have to be the suicidal one to underestimate you."

"Is that what I'm known for around here? Punching goddesses?"

"And S-rank puppeteers," Temari said. "Don't forget that one."

"Not anytime soon. But thanks for the reminder."

Temari reached up and pulled out one of her ponytails, letting her thick hair slide down to her shoulders. Sakura grimaced automatically. "Kami, just looking at you is giving me heat stroke."

Temari shot her a funny look from the corner of her eye. "I know you're an esteemed guest and all, but that had better be a compliment, Haruno."

Damn. That sounded a lot more eloquent in her head. She spent way too much time around Naruto. "It definitely is. It's just—and I say this in the most complimentary manner…" Sakura pulled a face. "Suna is _really hot._ "

Temari barked off a laugh, a sound Sakura was happy to hear even if it always came at her expense. Times like these made the Chuunin Exams feel far, far away. "I love how all you Leaf-nin come off like you're mass-produced and programmed to say the exact same thing. You know what Kankurou calls you, right? Hint: it's rhymes with leak."

In a sudden outer-body experience, Sakura pictured herself as she was right now: sitting outside Suna General Hospital with Temari's shawl thrown over her head and shoulders, trying to flap some semblance of a breeze into her sweated-through tank top. And there was the hair. Fine. So she looked ridiculous, but she wasn't going to be pushed around by a guy whose eyeliner was steadier than hers. "It's 'sleek', right? As in, my sleek, well-conditioned hair."

"You keep telling yourself that," Temari said. "The heat isn't nearly as bad as the cold when it comes. You get used to it, living here. Just because we're a village in the desert doesn't change the fact that it's a desert." She smirked. "But I guess for a Leaf like you, two weeks is plenty of time to shrivel up, huh?"

"'Shrivel' isn't exactly the word I would use…"

Temari finished flicking sand out of her hair and swept it all up into one ponytail, shooting a wry smile at Sakura. "The point is we appreciate you trekking out here. Gaara's come a long way, but it still takes a lot for him to ask other villages for help."

No kidding. It wasn't so much an issue of trust as it was habit. The five Kage had circled each other for generations and saving the world together couldn't erase that in one year. But Gaara had the right idea and Sakura respected him for it. "He seems to make exceptions for Leaf," she pointed out.

Temari shook her head. "Not really. He makes exceptions for Uzumaki Naruto."

Sakura smiled. She couldn't argue with that.

Gaara's request had come to the Hokage, of course, but Kakashi had picked up his predecessor's habit of delegating responsibilities to other people. Whenever matters concerning Leaf and Sand relations landed on his desk, Kakashi passed the file to a chuunin for delivery without looking at it. As long as Naruto's ideas were not of the explosive kind, Kakashi signed and passed it. So far, Naruto had been surprisingly diligent about playing ambassador—if you didn't look at his tendency to run out to Suna and settle impasses with a fight. Besides, judging by the readiness at which Gaara humoured the challenges, Sakura was pretty sure they disagreed with each other for an excuse to crack some knuckles.

So it was a minor miracle when Gaara's request to have a Leaf medic reform Suna's underdeveloped hospital was settled without a single 'let's take it outside'. Sakura was touched—proud even—but she wasn't necessarily surprised. This _was_ Naruto making the calls, after all. Then there was the situation with Tsunade settling down in a semi-permanent position at the hospital and Shizune tied up rescuing Kakashi from paper cuts, and Sakura basically found herself, well, everywhere. Including the middle of the desert in scorching summer, hundreds of miles away from her patients. At least she was going home tomorrow.

Sakura locked her fingers above her head and stretched. _Pop_. "I can see why your medics want more practice. I can't get over how… _sensible_ you Sand-nin are. In Konoha, I can't have a coffee without someone giving their teammate a concussion in training."

"Hah," Temari retorted. "Do you remember Sasori's puppet? The big one that attacked Kankurou?"

That wasn't even a question. She could still feel the crack of its shell beneath her fingers if she tried. She just chose not to. "You mean Hiruko. What about it?"

"That creepy look isn't an original invention. Here in Sand, we've got a lot of local fauna jostling to be at the top of the food chain. Like massive scorpions. If you're caught up trying to crack open your teammate's head, you'll miss the sand shifting beneath your feet and next thing you know, free burial." Temari frowned. "Kankurou got pulled under when we were young and playing in the yard. He still wakes up choking on sand some nights."

Sakura was surprised. Her relationship with Kankurou was consultative at best—mainly because for every poison he invented, she had to match it with an antidote of her own, in case he slipped up. Just last night, they'd spent her sleeping hours catching up on his backlog of prototypes. Sakura had always assumed Kankurou's knack for the art came from undiagnosed sadism, but perhaps she was wrong. "I didn't know that. How did you get him out?"

Temari shrugged, watching the market across the square. "I couldn't find him under the sand—he was just gone. Kankurou says it was like being bitten by a shark, although the idiot's only seen the ocean twice in his life and he never even met that blue Akatsuki." Temari rolled her eyes, almost distractedly. Then she glanced back into the hospital. "Gaara saved him. We thought he'd kill Kankurou just as quickly because… you know. That's how he was back then. But he didn't. He just dropped Kankurou, watched him cry. Then he looked at me and I—I wanted to hug him. But I didn't. If I could go back to that day, I swear…"

 _If._ That sounded familiar. At some point in her life, Sakura had lived by that word. If she'd been more focused as a genin, if she'd been kinder to Naruto, more patient to Sai, more understanding to Kakashi. If she'd been strong enough to keep Sasuke from leaving that night. _If_ she had done all those things right, everything could have been so different. But who really knew?

Sakura turned her face up at the clear sky, feeling the heat of Suna's merciless sun on her skin. "But we're still here, aren't we?" she wondered aloud. "Mistakes and all."

Temari stared at Sakura for a moment. Then the corner of her lips quirked. "In times of peace, no less. The consequences of being a terrible sister are pretty lenient."

"No more severe than being a useless teammate," Sakura assured her. They grinned at each other. Sakura tugged off the shawl and stood, stretching towards the cloudless sky. "Now, honest question."

"Oh?"

Sakura breathed deeply through her nose. She had to hand it to Suna; the air was sweet as any here. "Is it _really_ suicidal to ask Gaara for a spar?"

"Goddamn it, woman," Temari sighed. "Some peacekeepers you and Uzumaki are."

Sakura laughed. Naruto's name followed her around so much it was hard to feel like she was on a solo mission. "That's not fair, Temari-san. I'm a lot more diplomatic than he is."

"Uh huh."

"And you know I'd punch a dozen more goddesses before I let anyone take away this peace. It's nice being able to walk through the front gates of every village instead of sneaking through the sewers. But every now and then… well, I want to heal an injury _I_ gave to someone. Usually, I have Naruto for that. But here…"

"Here you have sensible Sand-nin," Temari finished. "You want me to dig up a King Red Scorpion for you?"

A gleam entered Sakura's eyes. "Can you?"

"It's not worth the effort if you'll just pulverise it in seconds." Temari got to her feet as well, placing a hand to her neck and cracking it. The gesture was so much like Shikamaru that Sakura smiled. With Naruto playing ambassador and Ino's ear on the grapevine, not even a long distance relationship passed under her radar. "I've been pretty restless myself, actually," Temari announced conversationally.

Sakura glanced back at the huge clock atop the hospital. Ten minutes of break left. Plenty of time. "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. And I wouldn't have to bother Kazekage-sama."

"Trust me, Gaara has nothing on this." With a practiced flurry, Temari drew out a summoning scroll with the kanji for wind inked on it. "Fancy a cool breeze?"

Sakura's gloves slapped together. "Best thing I've heard all week."

Now that wasn't entirely true, but Temari didn't need to know that.

* * *

"That hat looks tragic on you."

Kakashi studied his reflection in the window—an action bordering on masochistic. Suffice to say, the official Kage attire had not been designed for mask-wearers. "I wish you'd considered that before putting it on my head."

"I did. Why do you think I gave it to you so happily?" Tsunade reclined on the couch. In one hand was a classified file; in the other, a sake bottle.

Lowering his head, Kakashi let the wide hat fall into his hand. "The Third made it look dignifying," he said mildly.

"And I'd say he was the last to pull the look off. If I remember right, Minato teleported straight to the dressing room after the ceremony." Tsunade sniffed the rim of her bottle and growled. "I'm going to have a long talk with Sakura when she gets back. That girl…" The entire village knew for a fact that Sakura had started her master on a rice water regime; apparently a bet had gone down sometime somewhere and the Legendary Sucker's reputation had held up. Or perhaps Sakura had forgotten how to take 'no' for an answer, even from her esteemed master. Kakashi hoped Tsunade didn't start pointing fingers at where she might have gotten than trait from, because it most definitely did not come from him _._

"Why _are_ you trying on the hat, Hatake? As a medic, I can tell you it's not for your health."

"Hmm?" Kakashi spun the hat once over between his hands. It occurred to him that it only looked terrible on him because he had never in a million years imagined he would be the one wearing it. From the moment he'd learned his jounin instructor was going to be Namikaze Minato, Kakashi had wanted to see that hat on others more than in the mirror. So he picked it up every now and then, putting it on to overlook the village from his office, and hoped Obito didn't mind Kakashi stealing the show one last time.

But that was too close to home to discuss with Tsunade. "Oh, I'm keeping it warm for the Seventh. You know, big heads and all."

Tsunade chuckled, glancing over at the hat with faint fondness. "Don't work Shizune too hard, Kakashi. We'll need her to keep politics together once the hat passes on to that brat." She snapped the file shut and took a sip from the bottle. "Speaking of brats, it's too quiet without those two around. You need to stop sending them out at the same time. They aren't so easily replaced anymore."

"Don't look at me. The Kazekage's request started it. Naruto wanted to get Sakura out of the hospital."

"So he planted her in different one for two weeks? Ingenious."

"I don't think he picked that up. But he did notice when I needed Sai for an A-rank soon after Sakura left. Naruto survived being on his own for all of twenty-four hours before I had to put him out of his misery. Besides, we agreed he needed to see more of the world. The Tsuchikage's been in office longer than all of us combined; there's a lot Naruto could learn from shadowing him." Kakashi nodded at the file in Tsunade's lap. "So, what's the verdict?"

The file snapped shut. "It's a bold but necessary move. We've given them more than enough time to sort out their lines of succession between themselves. Konoha needs to move forward." Tsunade paused, drumming her fingers on the cover thoughtfully. "You do realise there's a fair chance we'll be scrubbing blood off the walls—hopefully the council's. That would make me very happy."

"You can say that because you no longer have to deal with the council, Tsunade-sama. One wrong step and they'll bury me in red tape."

The file stabbed sharply in his direction. "Which can slow you down but won't stop you. That's why they are the council and you are the Hokage. You're the most powerful person in Fire Country, Hatake. Start thinking like it."

Kakashi wished he could wilt into his seat. _Politics_. So much easier to deal with when you could slit their throat at any time. But aside from signalling Naruto to zip up in meetings, Kakashi hadn't done any sort of slitting in ten months. An unfortunate side effect of his new posting.

"Tsunade-sama."

"Hmm?"

Kakashi spread his hands on the desk. "A ninja with as high a bounty as mine isn't cut out for politics. I've spent my whole life either taking or breaking orders. I don't have Sandaime's wisdom, or Minato-sensei's charisma. I can't shoulder the entire village's wellbeing like you did. So why in Kami's name am I wearing this hat?"

"You've been dying to ask, haven't you?" Tsunade said wryly, walking up to the desk and dropping the file in front of Kakashi. She picked up the three-pronged kunai Kakashi displayed next to the only photo frame on his desk, studying the gleaming edge. "Don't sell yourself short, Hatake. You're much easier on the eyes than Danzou ever was, and without the treachery. The fact that you don't want the job makes you perfect for it."

"If those were the only criteria, I daresay Gai could easily take my place."

"I _did_ say 'easy on the eyes'. Gai may be more… contained in his wheelchair, but he's still squeezing himself into that alien spandex every morning."

Kakashi chuckled. Then his voice dropped. "I'm going to retire as soon as Naruto is ready to step up. Everything I'm doing is only a delaying action for him to mature."

"On that we agree. Although I wouldn't call this conclave of yours a 'delaying action'. I have a dangerous feeling you plan to make enemies out of some fossils."

"Well, I should leave _some sort_ of legacy while I'm in office."

With a flick of Tsunade's wrist, the kunai slammed into a target above the office doors. Kakashi faltered a split second out of habit, waiting for a bright flash in the corner of his eye. It didn't come, but Kakashi found that he didn't mind as much as he used to.

"Call it," Tsunade said in a steely voice. "I'll sponsor you. It's time we pumped new blood into this sleepy village."

"I'll get Shizune to make the arrangements… actually, where _is_ Shizune? I haven't seen her—"

"Since midday? I needed her at the hospital to oversee an operation, after _someone_ lent out my right hand to the Kazekage."

Kakashi stood to get the door, smiling. "Does Sakura know you call her that?"

"Does Naruto know he's your next-in-line?"

"I told him I'd give it to Konohamaru. I think he bought it for three minutes."

Tsunade rolled her eyes, although a shadow of a smile formed on her lips. "A new world is coming, Kakashi. Until then, do your own paperwork for a change."

* * *

Returning home was an important moment for shinobi. Whether it was from a successful mission or one that had gone to hell, the village gates were a symbol. This, Sakura found, tended to mould the gatekeepers into a special breed of affectionate dorks.

"So," one of the guards said casually, watching Sakura fill in the logbook by candlelight. "How far behind are they?"

"Come again?"

"The pack of wolves you're running from. Why else would you come knocking at this ungodly hour?"

"For your killer jokes, Kotetsu, why else?" Sakura quipped sweetly. She reached for her lapel watch out of habit before remembering she wasn't at the hospital. It had been _that_ long since the last time she'd been out the village. "Sorry, what's the time right now?"

"Told you—ungodly o'clock."

"Yeah, not the answer I'd give to the kunoichi who actually smacked a goddess from the sky." Izumo grabbed Kotetsu around the neck, slinging him away from the counter. "It's quarter past four, ma'am."

An exasperated sigh escaped Sakura. "Okay—somebody tell me who keeps spreading that around."

"The time?" Kotetsu pondered.

"The 'watch out for the girl who sucker punched a goddess with her monstrous strength'. It's driving me nuts!"

Izumo and Kotetsu shared a look between them. Sakura knew that look from the many times Naruto and Sai debated over saying something blatantly stupid. "Let's get this straight," Kotetsu said slowly. "The _truth_ upsets you?"

"Well—no. Yes." Sakura threw up her hands. "Naruto and Sasuke were the ones who sealed Kaguya away, yet somehow _I'm_ the dangerous one? I'm all for fair share of credit, but I've got genin showing up at the hospital petrified that I'll smite them for spraining an ankle. It's inconvenient," she puffed.

Izumo shrugged. "Your genin team is being written into history textbooks as we speak. Some element of awe is respectful."

"Besides, they needed you for that battle. That's what made—makes, whatever—you three a team. Ain't that right?"

Sakura blinked. Then offered a weak smile. "I guess. If you put it that way."

Izumo and Kotetsu looked puzzled. Sakura didn't offer to elaborate, because how could she explain the feeling in her chest? How it was warm and distant at the same time—like something you had been chasing for years had just reached out for you from the darkness, close enough to touch, but still so, so fragile. That was what Team Seven meant to Sakura now; not a team, but something more and less at the same time.

She finished logging her entry with an inky splotch. Izumo signed it off without looking and tossed the book in a drawer. Already, her mind raced ahead to the backlog of work she'd have to face in the morning; no doubt Tsunade had cooked up another research project in her sudden abundance of spare time. Sakura reached for her travel pack only to find Kotetsu holding it out to her. She smiled gratefully at him.

"Seriously, though," he said. "It's rough moving on your own in the dark. Slippery branches are just as bad as enemy nin. What's the hurry?"

Sakura ignored the way the straps chafed on her shoulders; she'd deal with that later. "Your niece, Kotetsu, that's what. Don't worry, I know my limits. I actually slept in the day I left Sand, so I made up for lost time here and there."

"I know the roads have been safer lately but that doesn't mean you should—wait, did you say _niece_?"

Sakura's eyes twinkled as she put a finger to her lips. "Don't rat me out, future uncle. Reika-san wants it to be a surprise. But if I were you, I would ask Kaka… Hokage-sama not to give me any missions in the coming week."

The sun was still two hours away from the horizon, but for all Sakura knew, the look on Kotetsu's face could have lit up the whole village.

Times like these, Sakura loved being a medic. Ino accused her of being married to the job, which was preposterous because last time she checked, her job didn't cook her breakfast or give her flowers on special days. But it did pull her towards home. Her patients kept her grounded; they were the reason she had a reputation for returning from missions at hours where others would have set up camp long ago.

That, and Sakura really did not like to stay away from Konoha for long. Just in case.

* * *

" _It's all on me," Iruka said, thumping his chest. "Eat up, hero."_

" _Really? Aww, you're the best, Iruka-sensei! Ne, Teuchi-osan, could I get another round of pork? Deluxe size!"_

" _Ah, Naruto, I wouldn't mind if you slowed down…"_

" _Not when it comes to ramen—whoa, that was a quick one, Teuchi. Itadakimasu!"_

" _Naruto?"_

" _No time to lose, Iruka-sensei. It's a sin to let ramen go cold."_

" _Naruto!" Suddenly, the seat next to his was empty and it wasn't just Iruka's voice now. A blur of voices shouted at the same time, "Naruto, your—"_

 _His ramen sat on the counter. Stone cold. He looked down._

 _His right arm was gone._

"Ow ow ow…"

It took a few seconds for Naruto to register that it wasn't the phantom pain that had woken him. It was a rather _real_ pain, the kind he associated with making Sakura really mad. But that was silly; Kakashi-sensei said Sakura wouldn't be back until—

"Uwah—Naruto?!"

"… Eh? Saku—urghk!"

The familiar jab of Sakura's elbow in his gut was muffled by something thick and heavy, but it still stole the air from Naruto's lungs like a forbidden jutsu. Lying spreadeagled on his back, Naruto blinked blearily up at the dark ceiling. "Sakura-chan, your walls are dancing…"

An exasperated huff. "Please, don't tell me this is what finally breaks your thick skull. How many times do I have to tell you to stop sleeping there?"

The pressure on his chest shifted. Strawberry shampoo wafted up his nose. Despite his aching body, Naruto couldn't help but grin. "Hey, not my fault you only have one couch."

"And one window. Right above that one couch. Sai joined the dots ages ago."

"Eh, Sai's too bony to break your fall anyway."

"Kunoichi don't _fall_ through windows, dummy."

"Oh yeah? Tell that to my ribs."

His eyes adjusted to the dark enough to see Sakura's profile above him. She didn't look as cranky as she sounded—in fact, she was smiling. "You're durable. What are you even doing here? I saw your chicken scratch in the logbook; you were back from Iwa hours ago."

Naruto grimaced. "I was in desperate need of comfort. I couldn't last another night in Iwa. Their beds are _stone_. Can you believe that? No wonder old man Tsuchikage has back problems."

"I'm sure bedding isn't the only reason for that." Sakura picked up her bulging travel pack off the floor—so _that_ was what the extra weight was. She must have thrown it over before vaulting through herself, clocking Naruto in the solar plexus twice. "Well? Did the Tsuchikage teach you all about being a wise and respectful leader?"

"Of course. Don't you see a changed man?"

"I see a hopeless future for Konoha," Sakura lamented. At his mortified expression, she smiled and flicked the tip of his nose. "Then again, I said the same thing about you when we were genin, and look at you now. You're not even orange head to toe anymore."

"I'm saving it up. I promised my mom I'd become Konoha's Orange Hokage."

"If you say so." Sakura's smile softened. "I'm glad you got to meet your parents, Naruto."

He stared back at her for a moment, and then grinned. Back on the battlefield, his dad had whispered into his ear that Sakura reminded him of Naruto's mother. Now, he saw why.

Then Sakura said, "By the way, you'd better have a good reason for sleeping on my couch with half the road on your clothes."

Damn, she noticed. Plan B.

Naruto sat up and wriggled his fingers. Sakura blinked, and then her whole face lit up as she dropped into his lap. Hook, line, and sinker. Kneading his thumb into a particularly tense knot, Naruto replied, "Obviously I'm here because I missed you. It's been three weeks! You didn't write or call or send a slug. I was getting worried."

"Now you know how the rest of us felt when you went off to train with Jiraiya-sama. Ooh, that's the spot…" Sakura made a sound between a purr and a hiss, which Naruto only heard when she was really sore. Sure, it worried him that she always rushed home from missions, but what could he say without being pegged for a hypocrite? The least he could do was oblige Sakura's whims for a massage; she was always after them and adored whoever delivered. Naruto had actually spied Sai reading a book on massage techniques the other day. Cheater.

"Besides," Sakura continued now with her eyes closed. "I told your messenger toad everything was fine, didn't I?"

"Uhh, he came back complaining about sand in his third eyelid and that was about it. No wait, there was something about Gaara getting a haircut?"

"Oh. That." Sakura chuckled. "I won't spoil it for you."

"Aww, come on! Gekomatsu said the same thing. What's he look like? Wait, don't tell me—a cactus?"

"Find out for yourself. I honestly can't describe it. And no, don't go asking Kakashi-sensei for leave at the crack of dawn."

"Damn it."

Fine, so he was predictable. But for good reason! Had Gaara mentioned something about a haircut last time he was in Suna? All Naruto remembered from that visit was shouting something about timber trade in between throwing the desert at each other. Who even cut Gaara's hair? Did he do it himself? Because that would go down sooooo well…

Sakura popped her joints with a content sigh. "So how overdue is your water bill? Never mind; it was obviously late enough that they cut it."

"How do you _do_ that? I wasn't even thinking about it!"

"You're only Konoha's Number One Surprising Ninja because others usually _learn_ from their mistakes. I can't believe you got back into those filthy clothes after a shower. This is exactly why I told you to leave a spare change of clothes here." Sakura reached over and tugged at his front locks. "And you smell like my shampoo. You'd better not have finished the bottle. It's my last one."

"I left heaps of shampoo. Your conditioner on the other hand…" Naruto grinned and took Sakura's jab at his shoulder. "What happened to your old shampoo anyway? This new one smells like my room."

"What?" Sakura snorted incredulously. "Floral Flourish does not smell like feet."

"No, I meant—" Naruto stopped. "Very funny, Sakura-chan."

"Sorry, the chance was right there. What's this about Floral Flourish?"

"My home. Floral flourishing _everywhere_. Seriously, every time I'm home I think I walked into Ino's shop. You should've seen my mailbox when I got back from Iwa. I'm not complaining but I'd really like to see my mailbox stuffed with cup ramen instead."

"We'd better spread word to the presidents of your fan base then," Sakura said wryly. She never said anything about it but Naruto got the feeling Sakura liked seeing him mobbed by the villagers and their gifts—in a good way.

Sakura got up from Naruto's lap and stretched. Naruto held his hand out hopefully. "Mou. Lazy toad," she huffed, taking his hand anyway. He followed Sakura into the kitchen. They both winced when she hit the light switch, chasing the darkness back into its corners. "Looks like Sai came by before his mission," Sakura noted. Naruto looked over her head; there were some washed dishes stacked on the rack that hadn't been there when he had seen Sakura off to Suna. Housework was one thing they hadn't had to teach Sai. Good riddance for that.

Naruto hopped onto the counter and watched Sakura rummage through the pantry. He'd scavenged for snacks earlier, so he knew there was nothing in the fridge. Unlike him, Sakura actually remembered to clear out her perishables before they rotted while she was gone. Now, she checked the date on a can of fruit salad and looked satisfied, which was just as well because Naruto would've banged on Ichiraku's door if he had to; under the light, Sakura looked even more road-worn and battered. Naruto couldn't remember the last time Sakura had left the hospital for a mission. Two months? Three?

He handed her a spoon after she popped the can open. Sakura leaned back against his left knee. "Back on the topic of floral flourishes, how's the gardening going?"

"Don't get me started. And don't start laughing." Because that's exactly what Sakura did every time she came over and saw him in the pink gardening gloves she and Sai had bought for him. Thinking about it now made Naruto scrub his face in his palms. "I asked Ino to look after them while I was gone. I think she's done something with the pots—colour coordinated or something? I dunno, it just looks different. Good news is, nothing is dead. Bad news? She left three bags of fertiliser on my doorstep with a note saying I owe her dinner… I feel like I've been conned, Sakura-chan."

Sakura laughed and fed him a piece of mango in sympathy. "You probably were. Try Kurenai-sensei next time. She's good with plants and I'm sure she'd enjoy a project besides Mirai-chan."

Naruto perked up. Seeing the little sprout sounded good, actually. Shikamaru's devil of a future student gave her babysitters a heck of a workout. And he was dying to show the new magic trick he'd been practicing to someone who didn't see through it immediately.

Sakura dipped the spoon in and out of the can, watching the syrup trickle back down. "Hey, Naruto?"

"Mm?"

"Is it true? What you sent the toad to tell to me."

Ah, there it was. Naruto watched a moth circle the overhead light. "Of course it is. When have I ever lied to you, Sakura-chan?"

Her shoulder bumped his leg. "You know what I mean. It's just… you've been trying to sense him everywhere you go, haven't you? And now after what—ten months?—it's in a major nation? Of all places?"

"Technically, I only picked up traces of his chakra signature. He'd already left. Maybe he wanted to do some sightseeing, shopping, piss off another Kage…" Naruto parried Sakura's elbow jab with a short laugh. " _Or_ maybe he wanted me to know he'd been through the area. You know… just so we know he's okay."

Sakura stopped stabbing at the bottom of the can. And Naruto could feel it again, the question that hovered in the silence. When it came to Sasuke, Naruto never needed to ask if Sakura was on the same page. But the last time Team Seven had even been in the same _book_ together, never mind page, was when the three of them had together sat in rubble at the Valley, two arms less. And that was almost a year ago. Naruto was pretty good at believing but sometimes it felt too good to be true.

What if Sasuke didn't plan to come back to Konoha at all?

A metallic clang made Naruto jump. Sakura had dropped the spoon in the can. Their eyes met. "Well," she said heartily. "It's a start."

He smiled back. "Yeah. It's a start."

"How's the arm? Any tingling or pain?"

Naruto looked down at his right hand, covered in bandages. Kurama hated it because the cells came from Hashirama, and it did itch a little whenever he drew on the Nine Tails' chakra. But other than that, it was functional. Before the surgery, Sakura emphasised a hundred times over that it was a prototype and there were still kinks to be ironed out—but of course there weren't. This was Sakura-chan they were talking about. Nine months after the final infusion, the limb was so _normal_ it scared him a little. And it wasn't like Sakura could do anything about the dreams—those were his own fight.

So Naruto flexed his fingers into a fist, and grinned. "Nope. Good as new."

Sakura arched an eyebrow. She must've picked up on his moment of hesitation, because she put the canned fruit down. "Let me have a look."

Naruto obeyed grudgingly. Sakura turned his hand over, then glowered at him. "I told you to change the bandages after a shower. They're going to mould!"

"I can't change them after _every_ shower. A quick Fuuton dries them just fine."

"That's the quick way to end up outside my office, begging for cold and flu tablets."

"It was one time, and it was winter!"

Sakura shook her head and reached into her pocket.

Naruto paled. "No needles!" he squeaked.

"Are you going to change your bandages from now on?"

"Yes, doctor! Every day, doctor!"

Sakura hummed tauntingly, but her hand stayed in the pocket. _Sweet Amaterasu._ Naruto squeezed his eyes shut and braced for the sting.

Something small fell into his hand.

"Spare key." Sakura's voice shone with amusement. "I'll stop 'falling' through the window if I don't have to leave it open for you and Sai. Now sit tight while I get a change of bandages."

Naruto stared at the key in his palm. It was such a tiny piece of metal, so light he'd probably lose it in the wind. But it opened the door to Sakura's apartment—she'd had it made just for him. " _S… Sakura-chan_!"

Sakura yelped as he tackled her from behind. "Oi, baka! I'm going to fall!"

He squeezed her tight and rubbed his snivelling nose into her hair, blubbering, "You can come to my place, too! I'll go to the locksmith first thing in the morning and—"

"I already have your spare key. You gave it to me before you left with Jiraiya-sama, remember? Who do you think kept the cockroaches away for three years?"

" _I'm not worthy_ —"

"Okay, I'll give it to Sai."

"No!" Naruto's eyes widened and he backed away, holding the key to his chest.

Sakura rolled her eyes, smiling. "Then put it away and don't lose it, dummy. I already gave one to Sai. He actually asked me for it; apparently, he read about it in a book."

Naruto froze. "… Was it a how-to book about getting close to women and cheating away their wealth?"

"I thought it was really sweet that he—wait, what?"

* * *

Sai sneezed.

The early morning chill had become downright freezing since the rain started. He had a cloak stored in a scroll, but that would risk revealing his chakra presence. He'd already taken a gamble inking himself an umbrella; the last thing he wanted to do if the situation went downhill was to paint on wet parchment. As Naruto liked to say, it would be worth 'jack shit'. Which was irrefutably not a recognised term; Sai had spent an afternoon perusing the dictionary for it.

Then again, he'd spent twice as long searching up the strange language Sakura enthusiastically flung at him when he had made the mistake of asking which joints were the easiest to sever by force. What was supposed to be an anatomical reference check for his new work quickly became an advanced lecture on medical ninjutsu and the art of dismemberment. With a lonely grumble of his stomach, Sai realised exactly where he wanted to be on such a dreary day.

Not camped outside one of Orochimaru's hideouts would be a good start.

Lightning flashed overhead, illuminating the mouth of the cavern Sai had been watching for thirteen hours now. It was the longest he'd spent staking out one of Orochimaru's territories. The mission was as straightforward as A-ranks went. Kakashi had already arranged good intelligence from the remnants of Jiraiya's network, and Yamato was still alive and stationed despite Orochimaru making it clear that he knew he was being watched. It was Yamato's job to monitor the Sannin's movements, so if Orochimaru hadn't bothered him he certainly wouldn't make an effort to interrupt Sai, whose mission was simply to confirm the locations of the bases and sketch the profile of each. Precautions were all the more necessary in times of peace.

At the mission briefing, he had told the Rokudaime that he specialised in portraits, not landscape paintings. Kakashi had looked amused. "Is that artist code for 'I don't want this mission'?"

Sai assured him it most certainly was not. Then he smiled. He'd been practicing his smiles.

Kakashi chuckled. He opened a drawer and pulled out a long, slim box, bound by a silk ribbon. "Naruto received my favourite pot plant for saving the world, and when Sakura was promoted to jounin I gave her the bells from my genin test. But they aren't the only ones who were part of Team Kakashi. I realise giving this to you now looks like a bribe. Which it's not. But if you want to travel the world for free and paint to your heart's content with this thoughtful gift—please be my guest." He smiled. "Oh, and don't worry about missing Ino's birthday. You'll be back before she even chooses a cake."

He wasn't sure why Kakashi thought he was concerned about Yamanaka-san's increasing age, or why he assumed Sai would even be invited to taste said cake. Besides, he was completely immune to something as trivial as bribes.

That said, Kakashi had bought him an incredible, flawless, breathtaking brush.

Sai mentally patted himself on the back for looking at the situation so positively. He had recently finished reading an enlightening volume on optimism. He'd picked it up with the mindset that it would enrich his emotional wellbeing, but by the last page, Sai realised he hadn't learned anything new—it was just a two hundred page description of everything Naruto was. Since he was nothing like Naruto, and didn't like the sound of 'pessimist', Sai decided he was a _realist_. Someone who accepted the world as it was, literally and unquestionably—logically.

The problem was; Sai was not being very logical right now. Because he was not supposed to be here.

The mission had been completed an hour ago, when he put the final touches on his last sketch and stowed it away. Therefore, his first priority was now to deliver it safely to his Hokage's hands. Nothing should deter him from fulfilling that duty. Danzou had drilled that into them.

But Danzou was dead. And, as he had been preparing to leave, Sai had seen his killer walk into Orochimaru's southern base.

Now, a figure emerged from the cavern. Sai wasn't thinking of Danzou when he stepped out of hiding. The figure paused. Dark, unreadable eyes found his. Then a low voice cut through the building thunder. "What are you doing here?"

Sai smiled back, but it was the terrible sort of smile he used to wear before meeting Naruto and Sakura. For some reason, they were the only thought on his mind as he held his umbrella over Uchiha Sasuke's head.

"I think that should be my question for you, Sasuke-kun. What are you doing out here in such dreadful weather?"


	3. Lightning in a Bottle

**The Final Flame**

Chapter 2: Lightning in a Bottle

OoOoO

"I can't believe you didn't see the trap. I know it's dark but still—it was right there!"

" _I_ _know_. That is most embarrassing. I must swim two hundred laps while balancing a boulder on my back. There is no way I can face Gai-sensei otherwise."

"Don't let Sakura-chan hear you saying that. She'll be mad enough we snuck into the Forest of Death to spar… How's the hand?"

"It isn't causing me any trouble. I cannot technically feel it."

"Uh, I'm not sure that's a good thing, Bushy Brows. Trust me—I know."

"I trust you, Naruto-kun. Correct me if I am mistaken, but are we attracting a lot of attention?"

"Nah, you're imagining things."

"Are you certain? Because I seem to sense some familiar chakra signatures approaching us rather quickly. Dangerously so."

"Hang on. Is that… oh boy."

"Naruto-kun?"

"Sakura-chan is going to be soooo pissed."

* * *

"I told you. Married to the job. And totally whipped."

Sakura groaned as she scrubbed her hands under icy water. "Ino, I've taken two steps out of an hour-long operation. Can the false accusations wait until I'm refreshed enough to defend myself?"

"No," Ino replied, reaching out to pump soap into Sakura's hands. "I'll have you know I paced the length of your forehead during that hour, trying to convince a crying mother her kid's not having an allergic reaction to that capsicum she ate when she was pregnant three years ago. So I think I have a right to state the _facts_."

"So you were the one out here with Kousuke's mother. That's awfully nice of you, Pig. Why can't you send some of that compassion my way?"

Ino rolled her eyes and rubbed the ends of Sakura's hair between her fingers. "Girl, I exhaust enough compassion on your hair and clothes. I just can't bear to think how a hopeless soul such as yourself would survive in the big, bad world without me. Who knows what would've happened to you without my careful nourishment?"

"I'd be bald and naked, obviously," Sakura replied wryly, slapping her friend's hands away from her hair (okay, so she had _some_ split ends). Ino rolled her eyes and held out a paper towel between two fingers. Patting her hands dry, Sakura said, "You didn't have to wait for me. How did you even last that long without a magazine?"

"Compassion, Forehead. We covered this already. Following your workaholic life is enough of a soap opera." Ino threaded their arms together as they walked down the hall. "And thanks to your little detour, Hinata's clan meeting is over and Tenten is done training, so we can have that girl's night out after all. Emphasis on _night_." Ino looked pointedly at Sakura.

Sakura sputtered. " _I_ wanted to have lunch on schedule. _You_ got distracted by a dress in a window and subsequently every window of every store in the village."

"Hey, it was a nice dress."

… Well, she couldn't fault that.

God. Sakura couldn't remember the last time she had dressed up for an actual occasion. So much fighting had happened for so long that she couldn't recognise _normal_ even as it started to return to her life. Simple routines like going for morning runs with Naruto and Lee, meeting Tsunade for supervision, taking paperwork home to read over a cup of tea—Sakura didn't know how to take them for granted anymore.

Having Ino around admittedly helped. Just by falling into step beside her best friend and snorting at her dramatics, Sakura could felt the tension in her shoulders ease. What she wouldn't do for a good massage…

"Then when _I_ wanted to eat, _someone_ suddenly realised we were near the hospital and wanted to—what was it again?—'check out some urgent files'." Ino went on to re-enact the scene in a high-pitched squeal straight out of Sakura's pubescent nightmares. " _Just two minutes_ , she said. _Hang on, my pager's going off… Shit! Ino, hold onto these for me, bye_! Speaking of which—here."

Sakura caught the folder Ino tossed her way. She usually glared at anyone who handled files roughly, but seeing as she had actually thrown those very files like shuriken at Ino right before rushing into the operation theatre, she zipped up.

While Ino rattled on about how Sakura didn't know how to take a day off even with the war over, she flicked to the last page of the file. She stopped walking. "Really now? That's a new level of irresponsibility, Shishou."

Ino broke off with a frown. "That is a new level of _rude_ , Sakura. Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes, yes. I'm a workaholic and you're fashionable, and Kami had a strange sense of humour when he decided we ought to be friends." Sakura flipped the file around so that Ino could see. "But if you look at the kind of mentor I have, you'll understand why I'm always busy."

Ino peered at the file. She traced the roughly drawn arrow on the page with her finger, from Sakura's signature to the empty line where Tsunade was supposed to give approval. She smirked. "That's her idea of copy and paste? You reckon she was sober when she did that?"

"You bet. I forced her to give up sake. I know she's been keeping her end of the bargain because I had Hinata look into her bottle every week."

"That's creepy."

"It's necessary. Seriously. She drew an _arrow_ on an official budget application to the Hokage's treasury. She could have just signed it properly." Sakura pulled a pen out of her pocket. "Lend me your back."

Ino folded her arms and turned around with a click of her tongue. "You're actually going to sign in place of the Hospital Director? I'm sure the treasury will have a field trip with that."

"Actually, both Shizune and I are at Sharingan-level when it comes to copying Tsunade-sama's signature—oh, don't give me that look. I saw you tracing Ibiki's signature last week. And I'm not actually doing it, thanks to that obnoxious arrow she's drawn. I'll just have to write over it." Sakura capped her pen and closed the file. "It's not the first time Shishou has made me stand in for her. The treasury have probably seen my signature more than hers."

"Whipped," Ino coughed.

Sakura brandished the file with a strained grin. "What's that? You want chilli powder icing on your birthday cake?"

"Oh? You're buying me a birthday cake? That brings tears to my eyes, Forehead!" Ino threw herself at Sakura, wiping false tears from her face.

Spitting out a mouthful of blonde hair, Sakura cleared her throat. "Actually. I'm _making_ you a birthday cake."

Ino pulled back and looked her in the eye. Then she laughed overly enthusiastically and patted Sakura's back—hard. "That was a good one, Billboard Brow."

Sakura didn't say anything.

Ino's laughter trailed off. "Shit," she moaned. "You're serious."

"Oh, come on," Sakura protested half-heartedly.

Firm hands shook her by the shoulders, as if to jumpstart her brain cells. "Forehead. You. Can't. Cook. I love you, but I kind of don't want to _die_ on my birthday."

"You don't cook a cake—you _bake_ one. It's different."

"It still involves you constructing something edible. Which is an S-rank mission in itself."

Okay, now she was getting annoyed. "I cook for myself and I am perfectly alive, thank you very much. Also, who do you think patented a new brand of soldier pills four months ago?"

"Someone who clearly can't cook anything palatable." Yamanaka Ino was bloody ruthless. "I've seen you burn through a pot just by boiling water."

The nurses in the foyer froze as Sakura growled and threw up her hands in exasperation. The hospital staff were accustomed to Sakura physically dragging her (disobedient) patients back to their rooms, or standing up to ANBU captains, chakra spiking, as she politely informed them that their subordinates were too drugged up in her antidote to give their report. What could Sakura say? She had built a number of reputations for herself—all of which seemed to terrify people. "I was tired! And it only happened once."

Ino did not look convinced. "If I hadn't followed you home, it would've gone up in flames."

"Nuh uh. I know my Suiton jutsu."

"You also know your medical jutsu and break-your-bones jutsu. So why don't you stick to those and stay out of the kitchen?"

"Um. Ouch?"

"Sorry, let me rephrase—I really like the cakes from that Akimichi stand near Training Ground Nine. Could you pretty please buy me one for my birthday?"

"That was such a low blow you confirmed my suspicions."

"Oh?"

Sakura passed the folder to a nurse and took her time passing down instructions of care for the new patient in Ward 8. Ino waited for her impatiently, and when they exited the hospital, Sakura gave it to her. "You're actually not that bummed out by my terrible baking skills. There's something else. And I think I know what it is."

Surprise flickered across Ino's face. If they hadn't been friends since childhood, Sakura would have missed it. Yamanaka Ino was as straightforward as a katana's sharp end, but she was nearly impossible to read when she shut down. It had gotten even harder since she started spending half her week with Ibiki in Interrogation. Several times, Sakura had run into Ino after a long day, chatted briefly, and walked away without registering that she had actually spoken to her best friend. They all had their walls. Luckily, they were pretty good at finding footholds in each other's.

Ino made a weak attempt to joke. "How would you know? It's not like my forehead is large enough to advertise it."

Sakura puckered her lips like she was forcing herself to swallow something sour, which she was. "I'm assuming that's Pig-speak for 'thanks for the thought, Sakura, but I don't even know if I'm having a party this year'. Am I right?"

Ino pursed her lips. "Not exactly. I _know_ I'm not having a party this year."

"Why not?"

"You know why not." Ino's shoulders tightened. "Gosh! Let's just meet Hinata and Tenten already. I'm starving."

Sakura watched Ino stride into the street, long hair swaying behind her. Unlike her, Ino took meticulous care of her hair, and to be honest Sakura had been jealous of that blonde ponytail for a long time. Which was why she noticed immediately when Ino stopped tying her hair back, instead letting it hang freely and complaining endlessly about how it got caught on everything: trees, chairs, food, Mirai's chubby fingers…

"Hey, Ino, I know you don't want me to say this but I'm going to do it anyway because you're probably going to drag us to the pub after shopping and drink yourself under the table."

"What the hell?" Ino said, stopping dead in her tracks.

"I'm going to tell it to you straight. I think your dad would want you to—what. the. hell."

A certain group was hobbling awkwardly towards the hospital, attracting the attention of the entire street. Unfortunately, Sakura knew all the members of that group very well, and she did _not_ like the way two of them leaned on the others for support. Her disapproval must have radiated across the distance, because the four men faltered briefly before continuing to stagger towards her like guilty puppies.

"I guess that means we're not having dinner anymore," Ino observed. "Is that a bear trap on Lee's arm?"

"Looks like it. I'll bet you shitty coffee from the vending machine that it was Naruto's fault somehow."

"You're on. What about Sai? That looks like his drawing arm. Are you going to bet that Sasuke-kun broke it?"

"I don't know. Let's find out."

* * *

Sai lifted his head at the sound of curtains being drawn. Ino stepped inside, picked up a clipboard on his bedside table and deposited herself on the edge of the bed. He scooted over to give her space. "I won Janken with Sakura," she said, jotting something on the clipboard. "I don't have anything to change into and Lee's spurting red everywhere, so you're stuck with me. Okay, case history. Explain."

This was the easy part. He had prepared a script on the journey back. He had expected to be delivering it to a suspicious Sakura, but Sai wasn't at all upset by his assigned medic. "I wasn't aware you had medical clearance, Yamanaka-san. I've never seen you work at the hospital."

"That's because I don't. I just come in every now and then to practice my skills on some unlucky folks. I started learning from Tsunade-sama to catch up to Sakura, but it turns out medical ninjutsu is very useful when you work in Interrogation. You know what tortures captured spies the most? Not being able to pass out from the pain. I sound like a sadist, huh? Does it hurt here?" She prodded his shoulder joint with the tip of her pen.

"No, it doesn't hurt. Do you enjoy your work in Interrogation?"

"I don't really have an opinion of it. I do like the look on their faces when they see a pretty lady holding pliers, though. How about here? Any pain?"

"No, none. I would have thought your mind techniques would be more effective than pliers. Am I mistaken?"

"Nah, that's just the way I like to do it. I avoid going into their heads if I can; it gets nasty sometimes. Are you sure it doesn't hurt? The bone looks _really_ crooked here."

"I feel a slight discomfort, especially when you—ah. When you do that."

" _Oh_. Sakura told me something about this. Pain desensitisation from ROOT training?"

"Perhaps." Sai came close to a grimace. Ino had removed the sling and was rotating his arm in its socket. He tried to focus on the lights overhead, but they hurt his tired eyes so he turned back to Ino. "Where is Uchiha Sasuke? Did he leave the village already?"

"I don't know. I could never tell what's on Sasuke-kun's mind—and coming from me, that's something. He just walked away after dropping you off. Naruto went after him. Oh snap, I should've asked him to tell Hinata and Tenten we can't make it to dinner."

"I can send them a message using my jutsu if you like."

Ino gave him a look of amusement. "That sounds like a trick my dumber prisoners would try on a pretty face."

"You do have a very pretty face, Yamanaka-san," Sai agreed.

Ino blinked, then smiled. As someone well versed in facades, Sai thought there was something different about that smile. It wasn't flirtatious, for one, which he had come to expect from Ino. Hadn't Sakura mentioned to him that she was worried about Ino recently?

Ino dropped her hand down to his wrist and placed her left hand against his shoulder joint. "That's sweet. Are you going to tell me how you hurt yourself and why Sasuke-kun had to carry you back?"

"He didn't carry me. I was... supported." He reclined into his pillows, but they were so flat and useless he slid back down. "I came across Sasuke-kun near the end of my mission. I thought it was suspicious that he was so close to enemy territory, so I followed him."

"And? Was he doing anything suspicious? I know he's reformed, but there are people out there who think he should have stayed behind bars, or at least under surveillance."

"I'm aware, but I don't know what he was doing out there. He wouldn't tell me. We were interrupted by rogue ninja who wanted to steal research material from my mission target. Of course, I wasn't going to let them have it. Hence my injuries."

Ino snorted, then covered her mouth in an unexpectedly delicate gesture. Her eyes swam with amusement. "Sorry. You got injured protecting _Orochimaru_? Not buying it. Oh, please. Who do you think extracted those hideout locations for you?" She tapped her temple with a wink. Her smile widened when Sai continued to stare, speechless. "Okay, I'm going to set your shoulder without warning now."

His consciousness snapped back into his body. "What did you— _ack_!"

"Sorry," Ino sang.

"No, you're not," Sai muttered, eyes watering. "Sakura usually counts before she does it."

"Does she ever make it to three?"

He thought back. "No."

"Exactly. At least I'm honest. Also better-looking."

His shoulder warmed as Ino's chakra flowed under his skin. Sai tensed automatically because, firstly, he hated hospitals and, secondly, he wasn't used to being healed by anyone other than Sakura. Sakura's chakra usually felt like a morning breeze, cooler on his nerves, and steadfast. In contrast, Ino's chakra reminded Sai of a meandering stream, trickling into his torn muscles, filling them up and continuing to flow towards the ocean… actually, that might make for an interesting painting.

Ino moved down the thin gash in his side, an uncomfortably close shave with barbed wire. "So I'm assuming Sasuke-kun hasn't betrayed Konoha if he helped bring you back. I'm surprised you got hurt at all. That's not like you, ANBU-san."

Sai shrugged, then immediately decided it was a bad idea. His shoulder was back in its socket, but it smarted more than it did before. He suspected it had something to do with Ino's brusque technique. "It was a long mission. I was tired, outnumbered and the weather was bad. Sasuke also didn't decide to help me fight until my shoulder gave out."

"Is that so?" Ino hummed a tune he didn't know, and just when Sai was starting to feel the fatigue settle in his bones, she spoke up in a casual tone. "Sai-kun?"

"Yes?"

"You might not know this, but I'm actually very good at my job. Not this one, I mean. I'm good at making people spill their secrets, but there's something else I'm absolutely phenomenal at."

"I'm sure," Sai said politely.

Ino looked at him, and said, "I'm _very_ good at spotting lies."

There was nothing for Sai to do but smile; smile, and think to himself that Yamanaka Ino was a lot more than the average, more-beauty-than-brains kunoichi she let on. "Is that so?" he chuckled, because he'd read that laughter was a sign of confidence. "That's good to know. I'm sure Morino-san appreciates your skill in his department."

Ino tilted her head. Sai got that look a lot; people trying to work out whether he was being sincere or not. Sometimes Sai wasn't sure of it himself, but he did know that there were a small handful of people he never thought to deceive. Dickless and Hag were a given; Yamato because the consequences were terrifying; and he cooperated honestly with the Hokage on most days. Now, continuing to smile innocently at Ino, Sai wondered if he could add her to that short list. Something about her blunt, opinionated manner seemed to infect him.

"Ah well," Ino said suddenly, turning back to her clipboard. "Not my problem anyway. Anything else you need patched up? If not, I'm going to let Sakura decide whether to discharge you or not. She looked piss annoyed when she saw you coming up the street, so I'd suck up to her if I were you."

Sai thanked her and assured her that aside from the shock of suddenly having his shoulder popped back into place, he was mostly well. He left out that he was hungry, buzzing restlessly on residue soldier pills in his system, and that ROOT had taught him to be wary of the hospital, so he wouldn't be able to rest properly anyway. A bestselling guide on self-improvement stated that men who didn't complain of their aches were seen as more reliable, and 'reliable' was one of the goals Sai was working towards.

Ino finished writing and slid the clipboard into a slot at the end of the bed. Then she stretched towards the ceiling, revealing a stretch of tanned skin, and hid a yawn as she waggled her fingers at him. "Goodnight, ANBU-san. I'll come by tomorrow if Sakura doesn't discharge you for some reason. I'm sure she'll let you off the hook if you play nice. No name-calling, etcetera… but maybe I'm not one to talk."

"Before you leave, Yamanaka-san," Sai began.

"Okay, that does it." She placed her hands on her hips. " _Ino_. Yamanaka-san is my mother."

Sai grimaced. Another name, another suffix to test the waters with. Sakura had banned him from calling any girl or woman 'beautiful', honest or not. "Ino-san?" he ventured.

"Yeeess?"

"I heard your birthday is next week. I'm glad I didn't miss it."

"Aww, that's sweet. So I should expect an amazing present? I wonder what Sai-kun will give me." Ino spoke with a playful lilt to her voice.

Sai sat up straighter. "Actually, I was hoping to talk to you about that."

Ino raised her eyebrows. "Asking the birthday girl about her ideal present is cheating. But since you're a sick man, I'll look the other way. Shoot."

"I want to know more about Inoichi-san. What kind of person was he? Did he have laugh lines? Also, what do you remember from—" Sai stopped.

Because Ino had turned around and stormed out of the room.

Suddenly, Sakura appeared in the doorway. She looked furious, the sight made more traumatising by Lee's blood on her sleeve. "Sai!" she barked. "What were you thinking? No, don't tell me—you _weren't_ thinking, is that it? Do you even know what you—"

"I know," he said quietly. "I did something terrible. I'll apologise as soon as I can."

Sakura caught herself right before the peak of her explosion, glaring at him. Then she expelled a long, heated sigh. "I don't know what to do with you sometimes. Seriously, Sai, what were you thinking? You're tactless, but you're not insensitive. I know that much."

He let his head fall back into the pillows, which gave under his weight yet again and dropped him further down the bed. "I was thinking that maybe someone like me could do something nice for other people. Naruto makes it look easy. But maybe I just don't know how to make people happy."

There was a pause. A moment later, the bed dipped as Sakura sat down beside him, right where Ino had perched moments ago. Her expression softened as she plucked a dried cobweb out of his matted hair. He shifted his head away from her touch; not because he disliked it, but because he only just realised he had a killer migraine. What had Ino called it? Pain desensitisation. Sai was sure that had been Danzou's intention, but after meeting Team Seven he started wondering if his programming had gone awry somewhere. Because whenever he tried to reach out for the other things ROOT had wiped him clean of—emotions, human connection, memories—a deep, profound ache throbbed through his entire body. No splintered bones, no gushing blood. Just pain, pure and innocent, and Sai didn't know what to do with it.

It seemed Sakura did, though. Her chakra dulled the migraine, and despite himself, Sai felt himself relax. "I really don't know what to do with you, Sai," Sakura repeated, gentler. "But you're wrong. You can make people happy. You just don't notice when it happens."

He smirked faintly. "Perhaps you should leave the inspirational talks to Dickless. I prefer your honesty, Hag."

"Fine. But I am pretty good at finding people's allergies so…" Sakura jabbed a finger into his chest. "If you ever— _stupidly_ —let yourself get injured just so you can drag Sasuke back to the village, I will make the nurses put you on a shellfish diet and you can spend your recovery puking in a bucket. Do you understand me?"

Sai gave her a wide-eyed look. "I don't understand why I would ever do such a silly thing. First of all, Uchiha Sasuke could never be forced to do something he doesn't want to do. Why would I risk my drawing arm for that? It's the most precious part of me… that is, except for my magnificent manhoo—"

"Okay! Stop!" Sakura threw up her hands. "Can't you let me appreciate you for one moment? Without wanting to strangle you?"

"I'm your patient. You can't hurt me."

"I can if I think it will cure your character," Sakura replied. Sai laughed, genuinely, because sometimes Sakura was refreshingly fun to be around, and also because he really ought to take Ino's advice and get in her good books if he wanted to leave the hospital tonight. Sakura flashed him a quick smile. "Thank you," she mouthed.

Sai just smiled. Sakura absently adjusted his pillows as she scanned his medical notes. "Goodness, Ino's handwriting is _neat_. Let's see… yeah, I thought as much. Hmm. How did you catch a cold in the first place?"

"Rain. And wind."

"Wind?"

"Sasuke-kun travels very fast," Sai told her. Like he'd thought, Sakura twitched as if to restrain a proper reaction. Naruto had done the same when they ran into each other at the village gates, greeting Sasuke with a simple nod. Unused to seeing his raucous teammates subdued, Sai knew he had to probe. "Shouldn't you go to him now? It's nearly been a year since you last saw him. He may leave the village soon."

Sakura paused in the middle of adding her notes to the file. "Tactless but not insensitive, huh?" she commented dryly, glancing at him. "Can I tell you something, Sai? The truth?"

 _At least I'm honest,_ Ino had said. Sai nodded.

Sakura played with the clipboard's clasp. _Click. Snap._ "Naruto and I made a decision after Sasuke-kun left to travel. If… when he returned, Sasuke may never stay in the village. I don't think he remembers how to settle anywhere anymore. Not until he finds what he's searching for."

"You decided you weren't going to be the ones to chain him down," Sai deduced.

"Something like that. We've tried chasing him for years, and look how that ended up." Sakura shrugged and offered a faint smile. "You can't catch lightning. Sasuke-kun isn't ready for us to find him just yet. I saw it in his eyes earlier. If he ever strays from his path—" _Snap. "—_ Naruto will do something about it. So unless he dislocates _his_ shoulder—touch wood—Sasuke doesn't need me for anything right now. And that's fine by me—I suppose it has to be."

Sai didn't say anything, mostly because he didn't know what he could say. No matter what they said, the original Team Seven was out of his reach. He didn't belong in their trio, and Sai liked it that way. Because both Naruto and Sakura's gaze had gone to him first, concerned, before flickering to Sasuke in surprise, and as long as they allowed him those tiny moments, Sai was happy.

"I don't really understand it, but if you're happy with the way things are, so am I."

Sakura cracked another smile, wider this time. "I hope you don't feel like you dragged him back for nothing. I still think it's sweet, if terribly stupid."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I did no such thing."

"Yes, yes. I love you too, you silly artist. That's why I'm putting you down for self-discharge—after two more hours of observation," she added sternly, when Sai eagerly threw back the blanket.

"I'm fine. Shall I walk a straight line for you? Perform a hundred one armed push ups?"

"No, Lee's probably done twice that in the next room. You need to rest your shoulder, drink supplements and refrain from insulting my nurses while you're here. Punishment for upsetting my best friend." Sakura brandished her pen at him with a firm look. "Make up with her soon, all right? That's an order."

Sai exhaled through his nose and slumped down.

Sakura paused at the door, folding her white coat over one arm. "Hey, Sai. Come over for dinner later. You don't have anything back at the barracks, right?"

Sai considered this, hiding a smile. "Are you cooking?"

"Are you implying something?"

"Only investigating my odds of survival. No shellfish?"

"Okonomiyaki, you ungrateful urchin."

Sai nodded. "I will be there. To put out the fires."

"Oh, shut up."

* * *

In the end, he didn't have to knock. Distracted by the sunset, he had paused on the roof to watch, and by the time the sky was dark, Kakashi had joined him outside, white robe fluttering in the wind. "Yo. I heard you gave one of my ANBU a piggyback home."

"He said you wanted to see me. Something you couldn't send by hawk."

"For some reason, I doubt you came all this way just because I asked you to. But pleasant surprises are in short supply these days, so I'll take it." Kakashi cleared his throat. "Before we get to that, I need to know you aren't here to collect your prize money for wiping out half the bingo book in ten months. Konoha is doing well, but not _that_ well."

Sasuke snorted and shook his head. He didn't have much use for money these days. His cloak was accumulating wear and tear, but it still served its purpose, and he surprisingly enjoyed hunting game for meals. If he did need a place to stay for a few days, he chopped firewood and fended off bandits like regular shinobi freeloaders. No one had given him much trouble so far. Until Naruto and Sakura's strange, false-smiling teammate confronted him outside Orochimaru's hideout.

"I was surprised when I heard what you were doing," Kakashi commented. "Uchiha Sasuke, delivering the wrath of justice without reward? What's the story behind that?"

"There is none. _They_ came looking for me. I had no choice but to eliminate them."

"Ah. Self-defence. Is that what we're calling it?"

"That's what it is." Now that the sunlight had faded, Sasuke felt the pressing need to leave the village. He had never liked Konoha at night; it brought back too many memories. Naruto and Sakura had given him space so far, but those two weren't very good at leaving him alone. If he didn't get going soon, they wouldn't be able to help themselves. "Well? What's your message?" he questioned briskly.

Kakashi looked at him from the corner of his eye, appraising Sasuke's weathered clothes and longer hair. Apparently satisfied with what he saw, he drew out a scroll from the wide sleeve of his robe. "Not a message, per se; an invitation, to the head of the Uchiha clan."

 _Clan_. That was a word he hadn't let himself think in a long time. Nothing good had ever come out of it. Sasuke took the scroll but didn't open it. "What are you planning now, Kakashi?"

"Revolution."

The single word jerked Sasuke's head up. Kakashi smiled with his eyes, although the gravity of his words was anything but jovial. "It's what you wanted at the end of the war, although I don't plan to execute a single person. Read the scroll, Sasuke. My voice is tired from arguing with genin about their D-ranks all day. You'll understand."

Frowning slightly, Sasuke shook open the scroll. There were only three lines written on it, a short read—short, but loaded. The implications were clear. Sasuke looked sideways at Kakashi. "I assume you've sent this out to the other clans."

"And several major authoritative bodies. Medical services, the merchants' guild. But for all intents and purposes—yes, I've ruffled a few feathers this afternoon."

"Does Naruto know about this?"

Kakashi shook his head. "He'll find out when the time comes, but for now I'd like this to go down in history as something initiated during my time in office. Something to fill the pages of my biography. It will also give Naruto more space to move when he becomes Hokage. If any clans paint a target—hopefully they won't—it will be on my poor back."

Sasuke regarded his former mentor. He hadn't thought much of Kakashi as a Hokage, but it seemed the less he wanted the job, the more he excelled at it. Sasuke set fire to the scroll, having already memorised its contents. "I'll consider it," he murmured, which was already more than he should say on the matter. Uchiha Sasuke actively avoided making promises nowadays.

Kakashi watched the ashes of the scroll blow away. "Very well. I didn't expect to convince you anyway. Are you leaving now?"

"I have no other business here," Sasuke responded, fastening his cloak.

Kakashi gazed down at the village. "It's been ten months. You would have travelled far, seen plenty of things. People. Places. How do you feel about Konoha now?"

Sasuke glanced at the village as well. Streetlights were blinking on, the streets peaceful. "I don't feel anything. Konoha is Konoha. I don't have a home anywhere."

"Is that so? I find that strange."

"It's the truth," Sasuke said bluntly.

"Maybe it is." Kakashi turned to climb back through the window, although not before adding, "When you left, you told Sakura 'I'll see you next time'."

"What about it?"

"It doesn't sound like something a man without a home would say."

* * *

Naruto couldn't believe it. All this time, he'd thought his shadow clones were exact replicas of the original: handsome, smart, strong, charming. Pulling his hands together to form that beloved hand seal, he'd always felt sorry for his opponents, because he was amazing enough on his own. Backed up by a thousand more copies of that awesomeness? Surely it was overkill.

Now, standing gobsmacked in the supermarket, he realised how very, very wrong he had been—his clones were absolute idiots.

"Hey!" he yelled, thundering down the aisle. An accusing finger whipped through the air. "What are you guys doing? You! You're supposed to be getting toothpaste and mouthwash. And _you_ —you… I don't know where you're supposed to be, but it ain't here!"

A cup of instant ramen bounced off his forehead, toppling into his basket. In unison, his clones shouted back, "So what are _you_ doing here?"

Naruto looked down at his shopping basket, empty save for the cup ramen. _Shrimp flavour_. Unbelievable. Snarling, Naruto rushed forward and thumped both of them on the skull. Two baskets laden with instant foods clattered to the floor. Naruto indignantly dusted his hands off. "Shrimp flavour," he sniffed. "Ugh! Do I have to do everything by myself around here?"

Then he looked up and realised every other late night shopper was staring at him, giggling and whispering. Crap. It took a lot of laughing, waving, and a couple of signatures for somebody's kids to send the crowd away. Naruto liked the attention, but he didn't think he'd ever get used to it. When he was safely alone, he sighed and picked through his clones' shopping. "Shrimp… vegetarian… tofu… geez, where's the meat in this selection?"

Then a familiar voice remarked behind him. "Oh, come _on_. Naruto?"

Already grinning, Naruto bounced to his feet. "Sakura-chan! What are you doing here? _Hey_ , nice shirt."

It was one of his, a muddy brown number Bee had mailed him last summer, featuring some of his 'exclusive' rap lyrics scrawled on the back. Apparently, Sakura's distaste for it hadn't waned at all, as she pinched the shirt and made a face. "It was the only thing in my locker after Lee bled all over me. If Ino saw me in it, she would've ended our friendship there and then."

"Aw, I think it's a great shirt." Naruto jiggled on the balls of his feet. " _Win after win is the way that it's done / When I'm done, you'll wish we never met, son! Aw yeah!_ Sakura-chan? Hey, where ya going?"

Hastily throwing all the ramen into one basket, he scrambled after her. Sakura was still shaking her head when he caught up. "Some day off this turned out to be," she grumbled under her breath. "One teammate lands himself in hospital, another shows up after months of no news, and the worst one makes my ears bleed. Now I just need to step in dog shit. That would make it official."

"You love us," Naruto dismissed, rubbing his cheek against her shoulder. Sakura rolled her eyes but didn't shake him off. "So that teammate in the hospital. Is he gonna be all right?"

"He's fine. Ino patched him up, but now she's pissed off at him so he'll have to live with the consequences of that." Sakura turned into the spices aisle and surveyed the shelves. She picked out a jar of parsley, then asked offhandedly, "How's our other teammate?"

"Dunno. He went straight to the Hokage Tower. I didn't hang around." Naruto took the basket from her, shifting through her purchases. "He might still be in the village. I'm not really keeping tabs on him. You?"

"Neither. I came straight from the hospital. Thanks to my wonderful teammates, I've missed dinner with the girls and Sai looked miserable so I invited him over. What do you put in okonomiyaki?"

"Tempura. Definitely tempura. I'm invited too, right?"

"That depends. Are you going to put all your cup ramen back?"

"These? They're not for me."

"If you try to convert Konohamaru to your junk food ways, I will make Teuchi-san and Ayame-san ban you from Ichiraku's."

Naruto recoiled. "You wouldn't."

Sakura gave him a deadly look that said 'damn right I would', and hummed innocently as she moved to another aisle. Naruto trailed numbly after her, contemplating when the goddess of his childhood had evolved into such a frightening person. "They're really not for me," he insisted, as Sakura picked up a box off the shelf.

"Who are they for, then?" she retorted. "Sasuke-kun?"

Naruto crashed into the greeting cards rack, dropping the baskets on his feet. He grabbed the stand and righted it so swiftly he must have channelled his father's lightning reflexes. Yet when he turned around, Sakura was staring at him with a furrow between her brows. "Naruto?" she questioned slowly.

Ah, screw it. "What? _You're_ buying him socks!" Naruto blurted, whipping a fluffy grey thing out of her laden basket.

Sakura reacted like she'd run into a haze of ammonia. Blustering, she snatched the basket from him and flung it behind her back. "A-As if! They're for my dad! It's getting chilly so I thought… wait, why do I have to explain myself to you?"

"Oh yeah? What about _Floral Flourish Shampoo_? Is that sauce for the okonomiyaki?"

"It's—you know what? I don't want to hear that from someone who has hijacked my shower every night this week."

"I paid my water bill this morning, thank you very much! And _you_ know what? If I was crawling through a desert and there weren't any scorpions to eat, I'd want a friend who bought me cup ramen. Because then I'd know someone still cares about me and wants to make sure I'm eating well!"

"Then why didn't you just tell that to Sasuke-kun?" Sakura snapped.

As soon as the words shot out of her mouth, her eyes widened. So did Naruto's. And they stood there, next to the insect repellent section, staring exasperatedly into each other's eyes.

"Goddammit," Naruto muttered, rubbing the back of his neck with his bandaged hand. "What are we doing, buying all this stuff for him? The flighty bastard's probably already gone."

Nodding, Sakura looked wistfully at the box of mosquito coils in her hand. "Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"I think we made a mistake. We shouldn't have let him go like that."

"I know. I know. Bloody hell. We should have tried harder to keep him. Tied him up, bear hugged him—I dunno… _done something._ So he knows we're not letting him go that easy." He chuckled half-heartedly. "He looked like he needed that shampoo, too." Sakura managed a short laugh.

They looked at each other, the air between them glum and defeated. Then the store clerk came over apologetically to inform them that the supermarket was closing in ten minutes, and they scrambled to their senses.

"Next time," Naruto promised in a steely voice, when they lined up to check out. "Next time, we're tying him up. Or you can give him food poisoning. That might be easier."

Sakura's boot crunched down on the inside of his heel. "Watch me make a flawless okonomiyaki tonight. And by 'watch', I mean you don't get to have any."

"No! I'm kidding, Sakura-chan. You know I'm kidding. I'll carry your shopping, how's that?"

"Better," she said, flashing a teasing smile. She unloaded her basket on the counter, then gestured that she'd pay for his as well. Naruto beamed.

Sakura looped her arm through his as they stepped outside. "Would it be mean to make Sai do the dishes? His shoulder might still be sore… what?"

Naruto had stopped walking, stunned. "If you feel bad," he said, jerking his head with a grin, "you could make _him_ do the dishes."

Sakura squeezed his arm.

Sasuke looked out of place propped up against the lamppost, a dark figure under yellow light. He straightened at the sight of them, black eyes studying their hopeful expressions. Then he sighed.

"One night. And there will be no hugging or food poisoning."

* * *

A/N: Hello, comrades! It's been a while since the last update. Sorry about that. You know; life, writer's block, etc. I do get a kick out of writing these dorks, though, and I hope you enjoy them too.

Thanks for the reviews and follows! I adore you guys.


	4. A Fine Line

**The Final Flame**

Chapter 3: A Fine Line

OoOoO

Sai did not believe in coincidences for a good reason. Coincidences were excuses, and excuses led to failed missions—which, in ROOT, equated to one week in a windowless room, trapped in genjutsu. They called it 'reconditioning' to take the edge off, and until Sai found himself explaining it to Naruto and Sakura during a sunny lunch break, he hadn't thought much of it. His teammates' reactions had him thinking differently.

Sakura had immediately dropped her chopsticks into her ramen bowl; they bounced off the rim, then the edge of the table. Sai could have caught them if Sakura's palm hadn't smacked him on the forehead, pinning down the bangs she had just trimmed for him that same morning. On her other side, Naruto had leaped halfway out of his seat, lurching as he overbalanced due to his recently transplanted arm. "Did it ever happen to you?" he demanded.

Sai blinked. "I do sometimes question the likelihood of related events occurring at the same time, although—"

"Not coincidences, you airhead! This recon… _brainwashing_. Did the bastard ever do it to you?"

"No," Sakura said, sounding relieved as she drew her hand back. "Trauma like that leaves its mark on the hippocampus. Sai's is untouched. Thank God."

Naruto stared at Sai for a while longer, then slowly settled back on his stool with a scowl. "That ought to be Danzou's line, Sakura-chan. If he actually messed with Sai's empty skull… heck, my old man was pals with the Shinigami himself. If I asked him to break Danzou's nose in the afterlife, the git would be reborn with the ugly mug, right?"

"You're terrible," Sakura said, though Sai noticed a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Well, now that we've settled you have no excuses for being a nutcase, does that mean you've never failed a mission, Sai? Ever?"

Sai kept a blank face as he snapped open a new set of chopsticks for Sakura. "Actually, there was one time I was sent to infiltrate a rather bothersome team…"

"Funny that," Naruto smirked. "Didn't you end up liking the awesome members of that team?"

"That was purely coincidental."

To this day, Sai could still hear Naruto's howling laughter, followed by choking sounds and Sakura's exasperated thumps on his back. It came to him in small moments, like the time he stood up too quickly and slammed into Naruto's hanging backside, sending his peeping teammate crashing down on the women's side of the bathhouse. No matter how innocently Sai had insisted that it was mere coincidence, Naruto (battered blue and black) proceeded to lob dictionaries at the back of his head for the rest of the day.

It was safe to say that Sai only believed in coincidences when he was the one to make them happen. Which meant he didn't believe in them at all.

"You are at least five centimetres taller than I am. Perhaps seven."

No reply, but he'd had time to acquaint himself with Uchiha Sasuke's silent language. Even with his back turned, Sai felt the dark gaze flicker to him. What had he drawn its attention from? The neatly made bed? The photos tacked with senbon above her dressing table? Or had those deadly eyes been pulled away from a darker, unreachable place beyond the tiny apartment walls? Unable to decide which bothered him more—Sasuke observing Sakura's room, or ignoring it altogether—Sai absently opened another drawer, this one filled with socks. He knew exactly where to find what he was looking for, but he was stalling. He didn't particularly care if Uchiha noticed.

"Of course, there's also the case of your missing limb. I hope you don't mind me mentioning it, but I feel it's an unusual oversight on Sakura's part. How can it be 'lucky' we are the 'same size', if you're only three quarters of mine?"

The shadows on the far wall shifted. Sai hadn't turned on the lights in the room, though not for the same reason Sakura had ushered them into her room with a sizzling spatula. Sai did not like the thought of Sasuke seeing the blossoms he had painted on the ceiling, using the cracks as slender branches.

"You were less annoying with the dislocated shoulder."

"Apparently, I was also running a mild fever. I forgot to thank you for that."

Sasuke snorted quietly. "You hold petty grudges."

"That's too kind of you," Sai smiled. "Hag and Dickless aren't very useful in that department, so I have to pick up their slack. Ah—here it is." He lifted out the spare uniform he had stashed long before Sakura gave him permission to. For some reason, the washing powder she pinched from the hospital's laundry was much better at lifting bloodstains than the useless puff supplied at Sai's barracks.

Sasuke held his hand out; Sai passed the shirt over, but did not let go. Matching Sasuke's pointed stare, Sai smiled back. "I'm trusting you with this, Sasuke-kun. Don't stretch it."

"Give me one of Naruto's if you're going to be this stingy about a shirt."

Sai shook his head. "I was referring to your bonds."

Sasuke stared wordlessly at Sai for a moment longer. Then he tugged the shirt from his grasp, slipped it on, and left the room.

Sai laughed softly to himself, following. "Unbelievable. It really fit him."

* * *

Naruto leaned back on the kitchen bench and listened for sounds of a fight, or any sound really. Nothing. All he could hear were the soft thumps of his swinging feet against the cupboard, and a furious sizzling from the pan on the stove. "You can resurrect them if they kill each other, right, Sakura-chan?" he asked dubiously.

"I'm more likely to kill them for killing each other," Sakura replied without looking up. She tapped an oily spatula impatiently on the marble countertop, shaking droplets of half-cooked batter onto Naruto's trousers. "Do you think it's done yet? I feel like it's been cooking long enough to fry three omelettes."

"What do your instincts say?" Naruto asked back. He was still listening for noise from Sakura's room.

"They are telling me I am in a safe house with no hostiles and therefore no need to draw weapons. _But_ if you fail to warn me before this pancake burns, I can definitely make this wooden spatula dangerous." _That_ turned his head. When Sakura faced reality, reality must be nasty.

Shooting her a placating smile, Naruto leaned over her shoulder and took a sniff. "Ah, give it a few more minutes. Let the oil settle."

"I just don't want to feed Sasuke coals on his first night back."

"Too bad. He'll just have to suck it up like I did."

"I have never fed you coals," Sakura said, prodding the edge of okonomiyaki.

Naruto cleared his throat. Sakura glanced at him; he pulled down his lower lip. She laughed. " _Oh_. That time. Don't be such a baby. You survived."

"I had an ulcer the size of a chestnut," Naruto reminded her, pouting. Sakura laughed again and, for the first time since she'd started cooking, relaxed.

She gestured for the orange juice Naruto had been drinking from the bottle. She handed it back to him empty, and covered his eyes with her hand. Grinning, Naruto flicked his wrist; he heard the bottle bounce off two hard surfaces before shooting into the plastic lining of the bin. Sakura took her hand away and he hi-fived it.

Mission accomplished.

A lot of things had come out of the war. Naruto spent a fair share of his time tracking the changes it had made in his friends, except he couldn't decide if the fighting had affected Sakura in a good or a bad way. It was good for _him_ , of course, because now he could hobble into Sakura's office with chakra exhaustion and hope for equal chances of either copping a dozen love-taps through the nearest wall for reckless behaviour, or being completely spoiled by her. It was surreal. The first time he'd woken up with his head in Sakura's lap and her hand on his brow, Naruto was certain his body had finally succumbed to the repeated trauma of Sakura's fist to his temple. Then another time, he dropped in to visit Sai after hearing he'd been banged up in his last mission and found Sai sitting up in bed, looking on with amusement, while Sakura taught him how to peel an apple without breaking the skin.

Naruto didn't know what the deal was, but somehow the war had made Sakura guilty. It was like she had become so used to spending her time on others that she couldn't turn it off anymore. Usually Naruto was happy to do that for her, but tonight had been a tough one to crack. He rarely had to work so long and hard to make Sakura-chan smile.

He blamed Sasuke.

"Maybe it's not the first time," Sakura murmured.

Naruto puffed out his chest proudly. "'Course not. I've never missed a bin shot. Not once."

Sakura rolled her eyes, dialling down the heat on the stove. "I meant Sasuke. Maybe he's come back to Konoha before without us knowing. He might think we're a bother."

Yep, totally Sasuke's fault. First he and Sai had that weird staring contest outside the apartment, only separating when Naruto literally kicked Sasuke into the shower. Then the bastard stepped out of the bathroom bloody _shirtless_ because Sakura had insisted on washing his cloak (and a miserable number that thing was). Now, Naruto was all for familiarity between teammates—even Kakashi showered with the door unlocked when he was over which said _a lot_ —and true, Sakura had probably seen more undressed men than Naruto ever would in twenty bathhouses. _But still_.

Naruto hopped off the bench and took the spatula from Sakura, lifting the pan off the fire. He eased the edge under the edge of the okonomiyaki, then deftly flipped it. Sakura let out a sigh of relief when she saw the golden crisp, unburnt. Naruto set the pan back onto the stove. "That's what teammates are for. No one bugs someone they don't care about, and Sasuke's such an unlikeable guy. If we don't bother him, who will?"

"Not me." Sai slipped into the kitchen. He didn't look as miffed, but with Sai you could never tell. Sure enough, he went straight to Sakura and said, "I still think he is taller than me."

"What's this?" Sakura grinning, feinting a gasp. "I don't think I've ever seen you jealous before, Sai."

"I am not jealous."

"Uh huh."

"Did you really make that okonomiyaki by yourself?"

" _Hey._ "

"It was a genuine question. I'm not insinuating anything," Sai said blankly. Naruto doubled over with silent laughter, unable to recover even when Sakura glared at him.

Sighing heavily, Sakura turned to the empty living room and called, "Sasuke-kun."

It took a moment. Then his dark head appeared around the corner. "Yes?"

"Do Sai's clothes fit you?"

Sasuke shrugged. "They will do."

"You need to get yourself more clothes; I have storage scrolls in my room if you want to refill."

"I prefer to travel light," Sasuke answered, and Naruto shook his head because he was totally asking for it.

It started with a twitch— _the_ twitch—which set off a chain reaction; emerald eyes narrowing _just so_ , brows creasing in _that particular_ frown. The voice came next. It knew no modesty or embarrassment, disregarded rank and gleefully dared anyone to challenge it. It was one thing Naruto knew infinite times better than Sasuke did, and therefore started cackling long before the stoic Uchiha realised his mistake.

 _Medic mode_.

Calmly, Sakura wiped her hands on a towel. And then she looked at Sasuke. "Your cloak had singe marks on it," she said. "Naruto doesn't know any Katon jutsu. Kakashi barely has time to walk his dogs, let alone spar with you. So what kind of company have you been keeping to give you such a close shave with fire, hmm? It's not assuring, knowing there's another powerhouse who can keep up with you."

Sasuke merely raised his eyebrows. He had no idea that silence was the worst defence against Sakura's medic mode. And Naruto was not about to warn him, because the only thing he liked seeing more than Sasuke confused was Sasuke confused by _Sakura_.

"Unless," Sakura mused, crossing her arms, "that's not enemy fire. It's your own, because you don't like to stay long even in small towns, and you'd never do something so silly as to light a campfire—not unless you're tired of the rogues on your tail and want to lure them in. But winter is coming and if you overuse chakra circulation to keep warm you'll wear down your capillary walls, then your arteries, and you'll be haemorrhaging long before the sun comes up. So instead _,_ you start a little fireball in your hand and keep it under your cloak while you sit in the trees. And sometimes, when it's particularly chilly, you nod off without meaning to. Does that sound about right, Sasuke-kun?"

He'd picked up on his situation now; Naruto could just see it on his face. Sasuke grunted. "I don't nod off."

"No," Sakura agreed. "But you _could_ if you packed a little less 'lightly', don't you think? Also, your eyes look dry. They wouldn't be if you could afford to shut them more often."

"I'll remember that. Anything else?"

"Yes, actually. It's statistically proven that more shinobi die sick and cold in a ditch than they do of old age."

Impressively, Sasuke managed to keep a straight face. "Is that so?"

Naruto burst into uncontrollable snorts. Sai thumped his back.

Sakura turned back to the stove and switched off the fire. Sasuke continued to stare at her, then picked up a plate off the drying rack. He held it out to her. As Sakura scraped okonomiyaki onto it, he said, "I haven't been back since I left. This is the first time."

"Okay," Sakura said.

Swallowing breathlessly, Naruto shoved Sasuke forward and stepped on his toes for good measure. Sasuke scowled and, weirdly enough, spared a second to glance in Sai's direction. He sighed.

"… It won't be the last time, either."

Sakura glanced up. Then she chuckled. "Okay."

Grinning widely, Naruto launched himself between his friends and hung from their shoulders. "Yosh! One big happy family!"

"Mou, who wants to be related to you?"

"The whole village, apparently!"

* * *

Hatake Kakashi had been called many things in his time. 'Grouch' was not one of them, but as the man gazed forlornly out the window for the umpteenth time throughout their meeting, Shikamaru considered investing some effort into changing that.

"Look at them go," Kakashi sighed. Again.

The sun had set hours ago on a chilly but otherwise good-weathered day. Yet there was lightning sparking in thick clouds that had suddenly rolled in moments ago and the trees beside the Hokage Tower, whipping haphazardly, told of a fierce, unnatural wind outside. Like Kakashi, Shikamaru knew what the sudden change in weather meant and wondered if Naruto would ever stop causing trouble for him. Not only would he be late for dinner thanks to a distracted Hokage, he was going to get blown sideways walking home.

"They didn't even invite me. Sakura is usually so good with that kind of thing. Do you think she's holding a grudge because I made her amend the hospital's last budget proposal?"

Shikamaru wondered how his old man would have handled his Hokage pretending to whine like one of his dogs, pawing to be let out. Kakashi was only acting up because Shikamaru wasn't old and respected, and wouldn't be bothered to correct him. The Godaime had her gambling halls and the Rokudaime had his envy for the battlefield.

Shikamaru made up his mind. He joined Kakashi at the window and rested his head against it just as a flash of lightning bolted down on training ground forty-four. "Pretty impressive that they managed to wait until after dinner. Naruto especially."

"We may need a new venue for the next Chuunin Exam." Kakashi nodded at the light show in the distance. "At this rate, they'll scare off all the dangerous creatures in the Forest of Death. Or worse, flatten it."

"It'll be fine as long as it stays between Naruto and Sasuke. Flattening isn't their style."

Kakashi tapped a gloved finger against the mug in his hand. "No, you're right. But if I know her—" The floor shuddered suddenly; the portraits of the past Hokage rattled on the wall. "—Sakura won't be able to stay out of it for long. See?"

Shikamaru could think of few things less effortful and more dramatic than a vicious sparring session in the Forest of Death. Then again, understanding the way Team Seven worked took too much brainwork in itself. So he just shrugged. "Your problem, not mine."

Kakashi chuckled. "One of them will be yours soon enough."

"That one I can handle—he's straightforward. You can keep the other two."

"Really? Asuma and I always thought you and Sakura were alike."

"Kakashi," Shikamaru deadpanned. "Do you know what's worse than one loud woman ragging you out for smoking? Her medically qualified best friend slapping a nicotine patch on you every time she sees you."

"Ah. It's like that, is it? Asuma never had it that bad; smoking was fashionable in our time."

"Now you're talking like someone who actually has grey hair."

Kakashi's eyes folded into a smile and he flicked his head to the scene outside. "Compared to sprightly folks like you, I must be."

Shikamaru chortled, linking his hands behind his head. "Don't lump me together with those three, please. I'm a pacifist."

"So am I."

"You're not fooling anyone there, Hokage-sama. Just go out there and tumble with them. They'll let the Copy Ninja in."

Kakashi cracked open an eye, leaving the scarred side closed. A bittersweet smile formed beneath the mask. "Copy Ninja no more," he said lightly. "Let them play. Right now, trading blows is still the quickest way they will learn to trust each other again."

"That's what I don't understand about those guys." Shikamaru casually spread his feet as another tremor reached the tower. "Looking at them now, I can see the distance between Sasuke and the other two. It's good that they're waiting for him to come to them, instead of the other way around. But frankly, when we were Chuunin and the world was out to get Sasuke and the Akatsuki, no one would dare say Naruto and Sakura abandoned him. It drew the rest of us in. If it wasn't trust back then, I'd call it faith at the very least."

Kakashi nodded agreeably and hummed. Kakashi was the kind of character Shikamaru didn't like dealing with; the kind that he couldn't read even if the mask wasn't in the way. When it came to Team Seven, though, Kakashi was open. Shikamaru recognised that blend of pride and exasperation; he'd seen it on Asuma's face often enough.

While Shikamaru contemplated whether Kakashi would mind if he smoked in the office, there was a knock and Shizune appeared at the door. She looked windblown, a dark coat folded over one arm and a paper bag in the other. "Oh, you're still here," she said, seeing Shikamaru. "It's not like our Hokage to do overtime."

Shikamaru nodded back in greeting. "We played shogi while we waited for you. But he's distracted."

Shizune smiled knowingly. "It's more distracting outside. I ran into Sai as I was leaving the Akimichi residence. He was telling ANBU patrols not to worry about the disturbance."

Shikamaru snorted. By the window, Kakashi looked over his shoulder. "How did the Akimichi take your late night delivery?"

"Very well. I was invited inside for dango and tofu pudding."

"Were they good?"

"Of course. I brought some back with me." Shizune placed the brown bag on the desk. "Pickled cucumbers. Chouza-san said you disliked sweets."

"Of course he would know," Kakashi smiled. "That's a good sign."

Shikamaru was well aware of the customs Chouji's family kept. The Akimichi were the most approachable clansmen in the village; being a naturally welcoming lot and owning the most famous food outlets in town helped. It made it easy for people to forget that the vendors skewering their chicken were members of one of Konoha's four noble clans, something that would never have happened with the Hyuuga and Uchiha, or even the Aburame. Shikamaru knew factions who scorned the Akimichi as pushovers for letting their standing slip to the background, but the Nara clan had always known better; the Akimichi hadn't been forgotten so much as allowed it. Their influence was only planted in different ways.

An Akimichi only investigated a person's food palate if they considered him worth watching out for. Clearly, Kakashi knew that. If Shizune had brought back pudding instead of Kakashi's favoured foods, not even the Hokage could hope for the clan's cooperation. But Shikamaru had known Chouza-oji-san wouldn't take down that path; he was sure the man had never manipulated anyone in his life.

"What about the other clans?" Kakashi had opened the bag of cucumbers and was halfway through them. Shikamaru hadn't even seen him move. No wonder Naruto and Sakura were so hell-bent on the mystery behind the mask. "I assume there were no concerns with the Yamanaka, Inuzuka and Sarutobi," Kakashi added, chewing. Damn. Shikamaru had missed that one as well.

Shizune nodded. "Every clan seemed to know I would be coming. Shino-kun was waiting for me before I even arrived."

"Make sure you don't squash the next bug you find near you. Hyuuga?"

"They were proper as always. I couldn't read Hiashi-san."

"I didn't expect you to. Hyuuga Hiashi personally greeting you to confirm his clan's attendance says a lot. I'm no longer worried about his decision. Thanks for going around so late."

"Not at all. If I were with Tsunade-sama, she would only have started her first round of sake. This is a lot less stressful. But Kakashi?" Shizune waited until he looked at her. She continued thoughtfully, "Like I said, the clans were expecting me so I often met with someone of rank. At the Yamanaka residence, I was received by a rather young man; I think he is a jounin."

"I see." Kakashi looked at Shikamaru. "Is he the one you warned me about?"

Shikamaru nodded darkly. "Yeah—Yamanaka Eiji. He's the second son of Yamanaka Isshin, the current head of clan."

"Second son?" Shizune wondered.

Kakashi gestured to a battered file on his desk. It was unlike other documents on the desk; too thin and stamped red with confidentiality. "Yamanaka Isshin agreed to send his oldest son into Danzou's Foundation eleven years ago, against Inoichi-san's wishes. He's been MIA since before the war, suspected dead. Shikamaru, have you spoken to Ino about this?"

"Chouji and I both did. She's being stubborn."

"I don't think that's what it is," Shizune said softly.

"I know. I know." Shikamaru clicked his tongue and reached for the tobacco pack in his breast pocket, then remembered Shizune—sure enough, she was watching him. Suppressing a sigh, he scratched his stubble instead. "She'll come around. It's been a year, and she knows Isshin. She'd never let a man who turned to Danzou steer her family."

"If not, I have a lot of groundwork to do in a short amount of time," Kakashi said. He didn't need to elaborate; Shikamaru understood his meaning.

If the next head of the Yamanaka was going to be a problem, discontent could be sowed to raise favour for a more agreeable candidate—someone Naruto could trust. But as the leader of the Nara clan, Shikamaru realised he refused to work with anyone else. He couldn't remember a time growing up when he hadn't been responsible for Ino and Chouji. Making sure Chouji didn't eat the marbles; following Ino when she went flower picking to make sure she didn't get lost. No one asked Shikamaru if he wanted a quiet life. Their mothers had put them to sleep in the same cot, for God's sake. Shikamaru had seen photographic proof of them curled around each other, he and Ino squashed into a corner by Chouji's sprawled form. Their mothers had sniggered over the way Ino shoved her hand over Shikamaru's face, forcing him to doze at a crooked angle, all while clutching his shirt with her other hand, keeping him close. 'Tough love', the women chuckled.

Until Chouji and Ino found someone else to love them unconditionally the way Shikamaru had been taught to, they were both his messes. And Shikamaru had certain confidence in the people he had grown up with.

"Ino won't go down without a fight," he said, only realising when Shizune's head turned that he had spoken too loudly. Shikamaru's lips tightened into a grim smile. Next time he ran into Naruto he was going to ask advice on how to help a teammate who didn't want to accept it. "Call it faith. She'll put Isshin and Eiji in place."

Nodding, Kakashi took a sip from his mug and regarded the village. The clouds had drifted away to reveal a full moon.

"Looks like they're finished," Kakashi remarked. Then, in a murmur so low Shikamaru almost didn't catch, he added, "Now we wait for the real storm."

* * *

She didn't mean to rise so early. The day was young and the compound was utterly quiet. She could hear the village waking just beyond the walls. But the sounds that Hinata had grown up with—the scrape of gravel, the slap of open palms and the bursts of chakra—were absent. No one was training in the courtyard.

"Nee-sama? It's spilling."

"Oh! Sorry, Hanabi." Hinata hastily put the teapot down and checked the damage. There was none; Hanabi had nudged the tray over to catch the spillage. Her younger sister looked at her with a slight frown. Hanabi already frowned a lot for someone her age, so it unsettled Hinata that she was causing so much of it lately. "I'm fine, Hanabi. Really," she assured.

"You've spilled the tea three times," Hanabi pointed out.

"I-I was thinking, that's all. How is your training going?"

"You've asked me _that_ four times."

Hinata winced. She could just imagine what Father would say if he saw her like this. Or perhaps he would understand; he had been spending a lot of time alone in the dojo recently, standing at the front the way he used to oversee their training. But no one was sparring. And from where Hinata sat, the courtyard looked terribly empty.

"I think I've gotten the hang of the Eight Trigrams Palm Rotation."

Hinata blinked and turned to Hanabi, who arched her eyebrows. "Do I have to tell you for the fifth time?" her sister teased.

Hinata's smile returned. "No, I heard you. That's great."

"Are you impressed?"

Hanabi was far better than her at hiding her feelings, but Hinata had seen the expression her sister was wearing many times. So even though Hinata had never doubted that her sister could do it, she replied, "Of course I am. That's an advanced technique and you learned it so quickly—much faster than I did."

Hanabi lowered her head to hide a pleased smile. "Not that quickly. I was stuck for a while." She lifted her teacup, then paused.

"Is something wrong?" Hinata asked. "It's too hot, isn't it?"

"No, it's fine." To prove it, Hanabi drank. Her little sister had always done that, though; push through. It was what made her so successful, but at the same time, Hinata wished Hanabi wouldn't do that around her. Not anymore.

"Hanabi?" Her sister glanced up. Hinata nudged a hot cup of tea across the table, and added lightly, "I'm listening."

Hanabi's eyes widened. Then they dropped down to the tea. "I just…" She tried to smile. "I wanted to show Neji-niisan. That's all."

Hinata closed her eyes. Because this was the real reason she'd woken up so early, wasn't it? No matter how hard she tried, her body could not rest past the break of dawn. And, lying on her mattress, she would wait for Neji-niisan to knock, asking if she was up even though he already knew she was. He would give her a small, challenging smile as he stood in the doorway, brimming with vitality from an early start. Only Neji could make an adrenaline rush look calm, at peace.

Thinking back, if she had been stronger… if she had moved differently, just one step, maybe Neji wouldn't have—

Hanabi suddenly rose to her feet. "Good morning, Father."

Hinata snapped back to the present. She bowed hastily. "Otou-sama. Would you care for a cup of tea?"

Hanabi folded her hands behind her back. "I wouldn't recommend it, Father. It tastes terrible today. Nee-sama was daydreaming about Uzumaki again."

"H-Hanabi! That's not true. I—"

"Hinata."

Her mouth snapped shut at her father's voice. It had taken her years to stop flinching away from that voice, and even longer before her father learned how to speak to her with the same warmth he displayed to Hanabi. But, right now, his voice wasn't cold and disappointed. It struck Hinata that her father had never displayed anger towards her—yet, at this moment, Hiashi was furious. Something had irritated him. Someone. Hinata unconsciously pinched the inside of her jacket sleeve.

"Otou-sama?" Hanabi asked. Her joking tone faded away. "I was kidding. _I_ distracted Nee-sama—you know how rich her brews usually are. I'll help her make a new one. Just sit tight, okay?"

Warmth swelled in Hinata's chest. If the shadow standing over them belonged to anyone but their father, Hinata would long have swept Hanabi behind her, Byakugan glowering cold. She never thought that her little sister might have felt the same way.

Hiashi must have picked up their apprehension. His sharp tone eased slightly when he spoke—but just slightly. "Hinata. Have the elders spoken to you?"

She hesitated. The elders had lost interest in her a long time ago. Hinata knew it was disrespectful, but she was relieved to keep a distance. "No, Father. Are they looking for me?"

"Seemingly not." A tendril of annoyance seeped back into Hiashi's tone. "They did not even think to have an open discussion," he muttered under his breath.

A clink of china turned Hinata's head. Hanabi took a sip of tea, made a funny expression, and put it back down. "They spoke to me, though."

Hinata stared at her sister.

Their father did not share her confusion. Hiashi sighed and folded his arms. "Of course they did. What was your answer?"

A toothy grin appeared on Hanabi's face. "I just told them the truth—that I am thirteen years old and have recently picked up the delightful art of hanging cute ornaments on my weapons. Have I shown you my kamikaze turtle? I made it from a pair of old earrings. Kiba-san was showing me how to make flash bombs the other day and I figured a silver turtle would make twice the flash."

Hinata winced. "Hanabi… didn't Konohamaru-kun give you those earrings for your birthday?"

"Valentine's Day, actually. He said he felt sorry for me because everyone else was too scared to give me anything. Hence why I turned it into a bomb."

"Wise. That child inherited none of his grandfather's admirable qualities." Hinata turned to their father, mouth slightly open in surprise. Was the Hyuuga clan head actually _aware_ of his youngest daughter's immature suitors? Hiashi continued unperturbed by Hinata's stares. "As for your latest… hobby, you already know what I think of it. You are a lady of the Hyuuga's Main House. It is unbecoming to treat your tools as toys, Hanabi."

"Oh, I know." Hanabi grinned. "That's what the elders thought, too."

Hinata felt like she had entered a genjutsu. "I feel like I have missed something important," she said warily.

Hiashi looked at her, the brief amusement fading from his eyes. Even now, safe with the knowledge that she hadn't done anything wrong, Hinata felt uneasy. But she held his gaze. Her father said, "I want to see the technique you developed with Neji. I have not had a proper look at it."

"Pardon me?"

Hiashi looked pointedly at her, but she'd heard him the first time.

The truth was Hinata had never officially demonstrated the Lion Fists to her father. He and the other clansmen had surely seen her use it, but no one had commented. Original techniques weren't forbidden; it was simply that their very existence implied the Hyuuga clan's traditional Gentle Fist was inadequate. That was a very dangerous idea to propose to the clan leader.

A year ago, Hinata would have been afraid. She would have looked to Neji first; he would have spoken up for her. But Neji was not around to shield her anymore, and as Hinata understood the resolution in her father's gaze, she also understood that she didn't need anyone's protection anymore. A year ago, Hinata hadn't stood at the head of an army, holding a hero's hand.

She rose to take her place in the courtyard. As she passed in front of her father, he murmured, "Watch carefully, Hanabi."

Hinata inhaled deeply through her nose, and steadied her arms at her waist. Gravel crunched beneath her feet. Chakra surged through her veins, piercing her pupils. Then she faltered.

Two rooms away, the clan elders were convened around a table. There was no doubt about it: they were watching her. She glanced towards her father. Surely he must know about this. Which meant he wanted them to see her. Hinata wondered if this had anything to do with the scroll Shizune had delivered to the compound yesterday evening, then shook her head lightly. Thinking changed nothing. The broiling heat of her glowing fists swept up a tempest in the silent courtyard.

Without looking at her father, Hinata began her set, flowing through a block and countering an invisible strike to her blind spot. The familiar drill settled her pulse and Hinata felt herself relax. No matter what her clan might think of her technique, she loved the Lion Fists. It was the technique Neji had helped her perfect, and she loved it again because it filled her with the same calm she'd felt standing in front of Pain two years ago. Using the Lion Fists let her return to a moment when she had stood beside Naruto and, for precious few minutes, Hinata was living in the past.

So she was caught completely by surprise when her father's voice cracked through the morning air. "Two fists!"

Hinata's body twisted on its own accord. She stared at her outstretched fingers, glowing with chakra. Her head snapped up. But her father was faster.

"Continue! Four fists, eight—"

By this point, her father no longer had to say anything. Because even though she didn't know what was happening, Hinata was moving like a wave set in motion. Her arms blurred and so did her memories. Hundreds of hours of practice flickered past. Her eyes saw everything: her father's faint smile, her sister watching from the tea room, and the afterimage of Neji's perfect form in front of her, gesturing for her to take that final leap.

Her feet glided across the gravel. _Thirty-two._ But that was not her limit. She wasn't done yet.

 _Well done, Hinata-sama_.

"Hakke Rokujyuuyon Shou!"

Hinata felt her chakra spring forth at the last strike and was surprised by how _light_ it felt. Chest heaving, she watched the flaming lions roar ahead of her.

She didn't mean to rise so early, but she did.

Nor did she mean to shatter the cheery blossom tree on the other end of the courtyard. But she did.

She and her father stared at the deep welt sizzling in the bark. Then, ever so slowly, the tree keeled over.

Hinata's hands flew to her mouth, which was just as well because she was so mortified no words came out. Behind her, footsteps rushed onto the patio. "That was amazing!" Hanabi shouted.

A helpless moan escaped through Hinata's lips. "No, it wasn't!" she whispered.

Her father made a noise in the back of his throat. Hinata spun around and was on the verge of bowing when she realised he wasn't angry. In fact, she could have sworn he was smiling. He reached into the broad sleeve of his robe and drew out a narrow scroll, offering it to her. Still dazed, Hinata accepted it. "Should I…?"

Hiashi gestured her to open it. Hinata recognised the Rokudaime's scratchy handwriting immediately; Sakura always asked for her help deciphering Kakashi's scrawl in her report margins. At first, Hinata thought that was why her father had given the message to her. Then he nodded meaningfully at the print, and she realised he wanted her to _read_ it.

She read it once. Then again.

Hiashi said, "I have no details on what the agenda for this conclave might be, but considering the wording of the invitation, one can make an educated guess."

There was no guesswork at all, Hinata thought as she re-read the message for the sixth time. No wonder Father and the elders were so agitated. On the surface, the message was harmless, simply. Yet there was also no other way to interpret the Hokage's intention.

Suddenly, Hinata registered what Hiashi had said, and felt the weight of the scroll in her hands. "Father—"

He was already walking away. "Give me your answer this evening. In the meantime, I will see if our esteemed elders have changed their narrow minds about your abilities."

Still bewildered and clutching the scroll, Hinata turned to Hanabi. Her sister skipped backwards with a grin. "Don't look at me. I can't stand boring meetings and the elders would hate to send someone so childish to represent the clan."

"You are not childish," Hinata said softly. "You have the purest Byakugan in this compound."

"Says the one who sees three hundred metres further than me. Did you think no one knew?"

"I didn't… Hanabi, this invitation—this _summons_ —is meant for the heiress. That's—"

Her sister shook her head and took the scroll from her, rolling it up. Hinata watched the Rokudaime's message slither away from sight. Sliding a band over the scroll, Hanabi tapped it against her open palm. "Not me," she said impishly.

" _Hanabi_ —"

Hanabi jumped and stared. "Oh my goodness. You _do_ have a big sister voice. Where have you been hiding it?"

Hinata finally understood why Kiba growled so much. When so many emotions clashed inside, drawing them out into words was impossible. Still, Hinata had to try. She took her sister's shoulders in her hands. "Hanabi. Please, talk to Father and the elders. I don't—"

"Yes, you do," Hanabi interrupted firmly. There was no hint of playfulness in her eyes anymore. "If you don't, I'll go after Father now; I'll throw away all my stickers and kunai charms and beg my way back into the elders' graces. All you have to do is say the word. I'd do it for you." She stared earnestly at Hinata, who winced at the thought.

"Hanabi, that is not fair."

Hanabi smiled suddenly. "That's why it has to be you, sis—you're the only one who is. Father and the elders chose me. In my mind, I chose Neji-niisan. Do you follow?"

Hinata closed her eyes. She nodded once. Hanabi pressed the scroll into her hand.

"Neji-niisan chose you. Which means that the only thing you get to choose, Nee-sama, is an evening gown. I know, you can thank me later."

* * *

 **A/N:** Nope, haven't abandoned this story! I'm just a snail. A nitpicking, procrastinating, second-doubting snail.

Thanks to everyone who has read and liked the story since the last update! I'll try to get my turbo on for the next chapter (it's half written anyway so few excuses there).


	5. A Series of Foreshadowed Events

**The Final Flame**

Chapter 4: A Series of Foreshadowed Events

OoOoO

Ino was annoyed. In fact, thanks to Shikamaru, she hadn't _not_ been annoyed in a long time. Today was supposed to be different—and, frustratingly, it was. Just not in the way she had envisioned when she finally convinced her mother to leave the store for two hours and update her wardrobe.

The truth of the matter was this: before Ino became annoyed, she was worried, and before she allowed herself to worry, she had been a sobbing mess. That first day after the fight, she had woken up with her mother curled up in bed next to her, a wet patch running on to her pillow, and it had broken her. It took one month for her mother to stand the thought of sleeping alone, and another month before Ino put her foot down and tried to clean up her father's office in the loft.

That hadn't gone so well.

It took many afternoons of cycling back and forth the stages of grief with Kurenai and Hinata while babysitting before Ino started feeling like her old self—or most of her old self. Because her old self had always been her daddy's little girl, and so much of him was irreplaceable that Ino never even hoped to move on the way Shikamaru did. She was simply content, knowing that was everything her father had wanted for her: simplicity. Ino liked to think that she and her father had always been on the same page.

Which meant that it was solely her mother's twisted idea to see her married before eighteen.

Ino glared from under a pile of hair clips. "I am never playing the good daughter ever again. And when you actually want to shop with someone who has good fashion sense, just remember that you betrayed her sacred trust for the thought of grandchildren."

Her mother tilted Ino's head with a firm hand, pinning a long blonde strand into a loop below her ear. "Trust me, honey; fashion sense won't save you when you're old and saggy. I'm just trying to ensure that you'll have someone who couldn't care less if you put on a potato sack. Is that really so bad?"

"Um, yes. Firstly, please don't ever say use the word 'saggy' in conversation with me; it makes me want to scrub off with rock salt for three hours. Secondly, I would _never_ wear a potato sack."

The teashop her mother had lured her into was obviously in on the trap, judging by the intricately decorated mirror placed in their conspicuously private room. Don't get her wrong; Ino liked to look her best—and her mother had always been magical with foundation—but was now the best time for a blind date? She most definitely did not think so.

"Thirdly, this was supposed to be _our day_. You know, you and me, ten different shades of nail polish? Did you even look at the sales catalogue I gave you?"

"Of course. I also looked at your hand when you passed it to me. Once upon a time, my little girl couldn't even stand a hangnail. Now she's got hands like a lumberjack's."

That must be the sound of her teeth grinding. Ino reminded herself to take a breath. It was her day off and she was out with the most important person in her life—although the latter was arguable right now. It would be a waste to spend it sculpting frown lines on her brow.

"I've been training. Weren't you the one who kept nagging me to stop chasing after boys and learn how to throw a kunai? Now I can handle so much more than kunai. And the one day I want to take it easy, you _set me up for a match_?"

"Heisuke-kun comes from a wonderful shinobi family. You've met him before."

"At _playgroup_. When we were snotty brats in diapers."

"Actually, we toilet trained you at an early age. Heisuke, on the other hand…"

"Mom! _I. Don't. Want. To. Get. Married._ "

With a sigh, her mother released her hold on Ino's hair. As much as she despised the horrid occasion, she'd let her mother do her hair because that was how it had always been. When her father wanted to drag her off to train, her mother would bide her time doing Ino's hair, telling her husband that she had nothing against raising a strong heiress—but a strong heiress with beauty to match was by far the deadlier combination.

She wished she'd spent more time training with her father. Now it was too late to make up.

Her mother's voice was light. "I'm not saying you have to marry Heisuke. You can love whomever you wish—hell, Inoichi always said he didn't want to give his princess away… but I just want you to remember there should be more to your life than risking it."

Their eyes met in the mirror. And Ino understood. The fight leeched out of her.

Behind her, her mother placed her hand on Ino's shoulder. "I had a bad dream last night. Your father was there, walking away and—" She broke off.

"Kaa-san," Ino began, turning around. But her mother shook her head and kept her hands on Ino's shoulders, facing forward.

"Ino. I want you to find happiness as soon as you can in case, one day, it gets taken away from you too early. Because that's the thing about life, sweetheart: it isn't always fair. And sometimes it just… runs out."

A flash of the battlefield came back to Ino—of loud explosions and agonised screams and, far away, her father's final words in her consciousness. And it was those very words that chased the shadows away, turning her painted lips up in a confident smile. Ino looked over her shoulder.

"Will you stop setting me up if I promised to give you grandchildren within the next ten years?"

A flicker of wryness crossed her mother's face. They had the same face shape; Ino's clear blue eyes came from her father. "It would put me in a very good mood. But you know that's not the point I'm making."

Finally, Ino figured it out, and her smile soured. "Isshin-oji-san; you're worried he'll marry me off to clear Eiji's path. If that two-faced bastard thinks he can force me to—"

"He _does_ because you're not giving him reason to think otherwise," her mother pointed out sternly, shutting Ino up with a firm shoulder squeeze. "I told Inoichi I wouldn't be dragged into the clan's politics. But you were born into it, Ino. If you're not going to choose for yourself, Isshin will do it for you. You're smart enough to guess why the Hokage's assistant visited the other night, and why your uncle sent Eiji to meet her."

Of course she knew. An insensitive, stubborn, pineapple-headed _jerk_ had made it impossible for her to ignore. "You promised you would respect my decision," Ino accused, causing her mother to roll her eyes in uncanny likeness.

"And I'll stand by it. But maybe I'm getting old; I don't see how beating up scarecrows all day is anything close to a decision."

"They're training mannequins, _Mom_."

"Which you've never exactly bonded with before, have you? And all this time you're spending with Morino Ibiki—he may be one of your father's oldest friends, but the man is _unhealthy_ , sweetheart."

"You said that about Asuma-sensei and his cigarettes, too."

Her mother raised her hands and eyebrows in mock surrender. Sighing, Ino moved closer and rubbed her mother's knee. "I know what you're trying to say, Kaa-san. I know. But I can't help it. When I think about replacing him… bruising my knuckles on a mannequin hurts a lot less. Please don't push me any more."

Her mother's lips tightened as if to hold back tears. "If it makes you feel any better, Eiji-kun's jaw might be easier on your knuckles," she mused.

Ino blinked, and then snorted around the lump in her throat. "I could just aim lower."

"Tempting. But if word gets around, it will be a long wait for a son-in-law brave enough to come within three feet of you."

They looked at each other, and dissolved into giggles.

Clutching her side, Ino leaned into her mother, wishing the world would just let her be happy the way she was now. "If Dad was here, he'd wrestle Heisuke for my hand. He'd totally win."

"And I would remind him how his daughter dates. At the rate you go through boys, we have legitimate reason to worry about you growing old and lonely."

Ino sputtered indignantly, then froze when she sensed a change in the outer corridor. She and her mother turned in unison towards the door as a shadow fell upon the patterned rice paper. That had been an awfully sudden presence—was Heisuke at jounin level?

Her mother smiled apologetically. _Humour your poor, well-intentioned parent_ , her expression said. Sometimes Ino wished she wasn't so good at reading people's thoughts.

She got up with a melodramatic sigh. "He'd better have good hands and nice lips… _whoa_."

"Is that a yes?" her mother called coyly from behind her.

Instead of replying, Ino stared at the white mask behind the door. Its wearer stood so still he might as well have been part of the wallpaper. Only his eyes shifted, and they were all Ino needed to recognise him.

She crossed her arms reflexively.

"Now what business do you have here, ANBU-san?"

* * *

There was a time in her life when Sakura would have considered stealth her forte. What else could a pink-haired genin have bragged about, teamed up with a loud jinchuuriki and a flashy, fire-spitting Uchiha? If Kakashi had trained Sakura in her original genjutsu strengths, she would have become a very different kunoichi. Someone who wrecked havoc behind the scenes instead of outright.

Fortunately, that wasn't how things turned out. Kakashi had done the smart thing and handed her tutelage to someone else, who taught her stealth should be a choice, never a resort. Now, as she watched her master stand casually in the centre of the field, skim-reading the contents of a thin binder, Sakura made her decision effortlessly.

Tsunade turned a page. With a spray of leaves, Sakura sprang up from the undergrowth.

Her foot whizzed past Tsunade's left ear, missing a blonde pigtail, and thundered into the ground. If Tsunade hadn't sidestepped, the kick would have snapped her spine clean in two. Undeterred, Sakura launched off her landing crouch with an uppercut. Tsunade leaned back and out, and Sakura just managed to block a knee to her kidneys, though the blow still sent her skidding backwards.

"What was the point of hiding in the first place if you were just going to crash back in like a buffalo two minutes later?" Tsunade asked without looking up from her reading.

Sakura's smile widened as she shook out her tingling fingers. "I didn't want to catch you in the middle of turning a page. I don't have time to rewrite any you might've ripped."

"Well. Luckily for you, I don't need both hands to fight a child."

"Really, Shishou? That's not what you said at my birthday dinner eight months ago."

"You weren't holding back that night."

"Well, you weren't reading that night."

"Excuses, Haruno. You'd better take advantage while I'm occupied. Your skull is meeting a tree once I finish."

Sakura didn't need the invitation. She wanted an outlet, and the half-hearted blows they had traded so far were anything but. No outlet meant nothing to shut up the annoying voice in her head.

 _They've always left you behind_ , it said smugly. _Shame on you for not getting used to it._

Punch. Duck. _They did_ not _leave me behind_.

 _Maybe not Naruto. But what else did you expect from_ him? _You haven't learned anything from the past, have you?_

She sped up. Sidestep. Backhand. Elbow thrust, push the offensive. _The past can crawl in a cesspit._

"Spelling error," Tsunade called above the smack of fists.

Sakura's mind snapped back into her body. "No way. Where?"

Tsunade pivoted past her punch, ducked under another, then caught Sakura's ankle mid-sweep. Sakura twisted, realising too late that Tsunade had let go of the file at some point. Her strike was blocked effortlessly. Crap.

Tsunade smirked. "Page twenty-three," she said. Then the world spun.

Throwing out a hand to break her fall, Sakura flipped several paces back just to be safe. Sure enough, Tsunade's heel crashed down too close for comfort, sending up a spray of debris. Sakura landed lightly on a boulder. "You're playing dirty, Shishou," she called.

Tsunade barked a laugh as she laid a hand on her hip. "Should have stuck to betting, Haruno. My fist bites harder than my luck."

Sakura smacked a gloved fist into the other palm and smiled with teeth. "I was hoping your fist would give me a better workout. Have you finished reading? I'm open to feedback."

"No feedback. Just questions." Tsunade motioned with a flick of her head. Sakura eagerly obeyed, shooting off her perch. This time, she left Tsunade no time to evade and they clashed in a flurry of movement. "Why are you starting at the Academy? There's a larger target population in orphanages. You'd get quicker results there."

"That's exactly why I put them in phase two." Sakura blocked a jab at her waist and countered with a sharp instep, forcing Tsunade to give up ground. Sakura rapidly closed the gap with a roundhouse kick, which Tsunade wisely chose to duck rather than block. Sakura bounced on the balls of her feet, catching her breath.

"The orphanages are overcrowded and short-staffed. It's nearing a year since the fighting ended, and they are just beginning to reorganise their management. Trialling the first stages of the project there, when they don't even have a recognised leader, is too much for them to handle."

"And the Academy?" Tsunade tossed off her coat and cracked her knuckles. Most people would be terrified to see a Legendary Sannin getting serious. Sakura was over the moon.

"The Academy has—ouch, Shishou."

"Come on. That didn't even touch you… did it?"

"I'm just shocked you're coming at me with killing intent."

"Take it as a compliment," Tsunade said wickedly, splitting the ground with a stamp of her foot. "The Academy?"

Sakura somersaulted over the fissure and landed behind her master. Tsunade whipped around. "The Academy," Sakura answered between blows, "has recently finished reforming its curriculum. And the students there are a direct link to raising awareness in shinobi families, which bolsters preventative measures later on. The findings there will fine-tune our later approach at the orphanages."

"Clever. Explain this mentoring angle you mentioned on page…"

"Eleven."

"It's good on paper, but you won't gather enough shinobi willing to volunteer their days off to sit down with Academy students twice a week."

At this point, Sakura only had breath for one-word responses. Luckily, that one word was all she needed to answer this question. "Naruto."

"Clones?" Somehow the talking just seemed to make Tsunade move faster. Kami. Sakura couldn't imagine what the woman had been capable of in her prime.

"Personally—he wants to do it."

"Huh. I assume you're hoping his popularity will set an example for others?"

"Believe it or not, it was his idea."

"I guess the brat will make a politician yet," Tsunade chuckled. Sakura detected a hint of pride, which made her smile.

"So," she said in an upbeat tone as she stopped a blow with a cross block. "Will I need a third draft?"

"Do you have time for a third draft?" Tsunade asked back.

"Sure."

"Without cutting into your sleep hours, Sakura."

"Oh, in _that_ case…" Sakura laughed. "I'm kidding. I can manage it if jounin instructors stop sending their students up the highest trees when they've barely learned to chakra-climb. I've had three concussions and one fractured clavicle just this week. I know we're still recovering instructor numbers—but Kakashi-sensei needs a psych evaluation for trusting Genma with a bunch of twelve year olds."

"I think Genma's the one who needs the psych. My bet is he would have staged an accident for their deaths by now if there wasn't a Hyuuga on his team." Tsunade withdrew her fist, flicked her pigtails over her shoulder, and picked up the discarded file in the grass. "Pen?"

Sakura blinked, and then her face lit up. "Does that mean no draft?" she asked hopefully, pulling a ballpoint from her pouch.

Tsunade hummed mysteriously around the pen cap and made a twirling motion. Sakura spun obediently. Using Sakura's back as she scrawled on the last page of the file, Tsunade commented, "Shizune told me the groundskeepers are amazed by the new lake that popped up in the Forest of Death overnight."

Sakura coughed. "That was Sasuke's fault. He didn't tell us Aoda knew Earth jutsu."

"Aha. So the ravines in the surrounding area must be…?"

"Naruto's fault. For dodging."

"All of them?"

"Oh, I sent him through a couple of trees. And punted Sasuke-kun into his lake at some point."

"Atta girl." Tsunade closed the file and tapped it against the back of Sakura's head. "Read over it one more time and send it up to Kakashi. He shouldn't have a problem with it. Job well done, Sakura."

Beaming, she hugged the file to her chest. "Thanks, Shishou!"

Three months of planning, and she finally had something to show for it. It wasn't the first proposal she had drawn up before—far from it—but this one was different. She could already imagine Ino's reaction when Sakura told her they'd been green lighted. Naruto would have hit the ceiling and spun her around in broad daylight and—

Sakura sighed as it came back to her.

"Oh boy." Tsunade shook her head. "There's that look again."

"What?"

"Your thirteen year old look. Is it bothering you that much, not knowing what they're doing without you?" Goddamn. A psychic Tsunade was somehow worse than a drunk one.

"I know what they're doing. Kakashi said it was a _mission_." She spat the word out bitterly, ripping her battle gloves off. Which decidedly did not help her mood.

Seeing Tsunade's pointed look, Sakura decided to hell with composure.

"I'm worried I'll get used to it again. That they'll forget I went through all this"—gesturing at the ravaged training ground—"just so I could catch up with them. I don't expect to follow them around everywhere but at the very least—"

"Sakura."

"—leave more than a note on the fridge before—"

" _Sakura_."

"Hai?"

"Did they look like they'd forgotten what you can do when you handed them their asses last night?"

"Sasuke-kun _did_ look surprised when he pulled himself out of the water…" But the satisfied epiphany on Sakura's face said it all. Tsunade snorted at its glow.

"Exactly. You worry about being left behind when they _let_ you. Now, if you don't mind, I've got a jackpot to win."

* * *

"There you are! Guess what? Tsunade-sama signed off our proposal for the children's mental health clinic! It's finally happening. We can—shit. Are you crying?"

In hindsight, she should have seen the warning signs; the biggest one being that she'd located Ino at all when she was supposed to be shopping with her mother. Then there was the fact that she was found sitting on a bench outside Konoha's finest teahouse. Yamanaka Ino was decidedly _not_ the tea ceremony type of girl.

Forgetting her good news, Sakura knelt in front of Ino. There was something different in her friend's aura, but she couldn't put her finger on it. It could be the fine kimono she was wearing, or the blonde hair braided and decorated by half a dozen glimmering pins. Or it could just be that Ino was sitting uncharacteristically still and staring up at the sky like she was waiting for rain.

Sakura touched Ino's arm. "Pig? Are you okay?"

"I told you it'd be fine," Ino murmured, still searching the sky. "We worked so hard on that proposal; of course Tsunade-sama would approve it. Worrywart."

"Okay, now you're scaring me." Sakura sent her chakra down Ino's arm. "Right. You're not in shock or hyperventilating. Talk to me, Ino."

Ino seemed to come back to her body. She regarded Sakura, and then gestured to a scroll she was holding in her lap. "Have you seen this?"

She hadn't, but now it was impossible to ignore. Not with the chalk-white grip Ino was keeping on it. Sakura recognised the texture of the paper immediately. Whether she liked it or not, her boys were good at keeping her informed of their actions. Not knowing why Sai had given Ino one of his paintings worried her.

Apprehensively, Sakura unrolled the scroll—and almost dropped it as her throat clammed up. She understood Ino's red-rimmed eyes now.

"Don't you start crying too. I just managed to stop," Ino rebuked with a half-hearted scowl. That was one thing that hadn't changed about Ino since childhood; she always reacted to Sakura's tears.

"It looks just like him," Sakura murmured wondrously.

Ino nodded, lightly stroking the parchment. "That's why he asked those questions at the hospital. He wanted to draw him just right… the way I remember him. He must have gone to Shikamaru and Chouji instead. Because I walked out on him."

Sakura looked back down at the painting, still unable to believe how surreally lifelike the portrait of Yamanaka Inoichi was. If she tuned out the street behind her, she could easily believe that Ino's father was smiling at her from behind the flower shop's counter. _Hey, Sakura-chan, here for Ino? She's upstairs with her mother—hair and dresses, you know. If we're lucky, they'll be finished by the end of the week. If only Ino was more like you… heh. Maybe not._

"Are you still making me a cake?" Ino asked suddenly.

"What?" Sakura said, blinking.

"I want alcohol and a dance floor, too. Oh, and a piñata."

It took Sakura a few moments to understand. "Hold on— _now_ you want to throw a party? Ino, your birthday is tomorrow."

"Exactly! You have plenty of time." Ino stood up suddenly and stretched, her eyes bright. "All right. Let's do this."

Feeling like she'd missed a memo, Sakura stared up at her friend. "What are you planning to do now?"

"If we're going to start this children's clinic, we're going to do it properly. We can do so much more if I get the clan to sponsor and contribute funds to the development. Even better if my uncle tries to stop me." Ino grinned. "It's about time I reminded him I'm still my father's daughter."

Ah—that was what Sakura had felt earlier. Ino was smiling for herself again. Good. The part of Sakura that had worried about the walls her best friend had been building finally relaxed as she watched Ino start down the street.

A thought occurred to her. "Oi, Pig!"

"What?" Ino shouted back.

"Shikamaru's pretty handy with politics. Just saying."

"Where do you think I'm going?" Ino scoffed. "Don't forget, Forehead: cake, alcohol, dance floor. And piñata!"

Sakura shook her head fondly, leaning back against the brick wall. "And there she goes… you heard the lady. She likes strawberry shortcake and rum, by the way. Lots of rum."

Shadows shifted in the narrow alley to her left. A figure stepped forward just enough for the daylight to glance off its mask. Sakura never did figure out what animal it was supposed to depict; all that mattered was Sai's voice behind it. "She delegated planning of the party to you. It is irresponsible of you to pass it on to me, Sakura."

"That's what you get for losing a bet," she hummed.

Sai sounded confused. "What bet?"

"You said you don't know how to make people happy."

"… That was not a bet."

Sakura glanced at him, smiling. "But you were wrong, weren't you?"

Sai stared in the direction Ino had gone. Then his gaze shifted down to her (seriously, all the boys seemed to be hitting their zillionth growth spurt—there was no way it was natural). "I see," he said. "Then how do I make you happy, Sakura?"

She laughed bashfully, elbowing him. "Start by taking off your mask and helping me throw the best party Naruto has ever missed. Then we'll talk about happy."

* * *

Sasuke did not have a preference for many things. He ate whatever was available, slept without complaint, and did not feel anything more for kind villagers than he did for the naïve rogues who tried to assassinate him in his sleep. Going from being engulfed by hatred to being utterly drained of it had left his world in indistinguishable shades of grey, and surprisingly Sasuke was content with that.

That was, until a bunch of berries dropped from the canopy above and bounced off his head, reminding Sasuke that he was unfortunately close to the most colourful ninja of his generation.

"Teme! You were supposed to catch that!" Naruto hollered from overhead, followed by rustling leaves. "Oh hey, walnuts!

Sasuke sighed, feeling a familiar snap of irritation. "Are you just about done?"

More rustling. Then Naruto hung upside down from a tree, munching nuts. "What's the hurry? You still haven't told me what we're doing out here. I saw a bridge from up there. What's the deal with that?"

"Don't worry. We're not crossing it." Sasuke walked over and thrust his armful of berries back to their rightful owner. Naruto had been using him as a variety of inanimate objects since they left Konoha; first an unresponsive wall to deflect his soliloquy of inane chatter, and now as a snack basket.

"Oh good, because that's Grass Country. They've been buddy-buddy with us so far but I doubt their border patrols would be happy if we started a fight on their turf." Naruto flashed a grin when Sasuke glanced at him. "You didn't think I'd miss the dozen blokes on our tail, did you? That's just mean."

Sasuke looked away with a faint roll of his eyes. But he did allow his lean frame to rest against the trunk of the tree Naruto was dangling from. "You stopped to graze so often I mistook you for mindless cattle following the shepherd."

"It's called giving the poor guys time to catch up. I clocked them as soon as we crossed the Naka River—didn't you read my code?"

"What code? You started talking nonsense about eating four sticks of dango at six o'clock."

"That _was_ the code! Three pieces of dango to a stick makes twelve! Twelve guys behind us!"

Sasuke didn't even deign to respond appropriately, instead fixing his companion with a flat stare. Naruto grumbled something about "Sakura-chan would've gotten it" and flipped upwards, landing on his feet next to Sasuke. He offered a handful of berries and walnuts, digging his elbow in Sasuke's ribs until the latter scowled and took some.

"It's thirteen."

"Mm?"

Sasuke sighed again. "Dango. Thirteen dango."

"Yeah, I know. I just wanted to make you say it." Naruto ducked Sasuke's backhand with ease, though he did shuffle along the tree so they had the forest trail covered from all angles between them. Only Sasuke could tell the move had been deliberate.

Picking a piece of berry skin off his tongue, Naruto said conversationally, "So—thirteen. That still doesn't explain why you made me tag along with you. You even told Kakashi-sensei to mark me as out on a mission. What are you? My _client_? I'll have you know I'm a very expensive bodyguard."

Sasuke snorted as he cracked a walnut in his fist. "You're not worth a tenth of the bounty money I promised not to collect from Konoha, genin. I needed you to come. That's all."

Naruto settled down with a suspicious look, but didn't press it. He shrugged. "I don't get why we left Sakura behind. We're not even a day from the village. She must've been so mad when she finished work and found us missing."

"I'd already stayed too long in Konoha. I couldn't have them losing interest."

"So Sakura was right—you _do_ trick them in to finish them off."

"Only recently." Sasuke's head came up. "Company."

Beside him, Naruto also straightened, wiping crumbs from his face. "About time. I thought my tripwire actually killed them."

"Only a child would fall for such an obvious trap," Sasuke pointed out.

"I don't know about that." Naruto smiled grimly and cracked his knuckles. "These guys clearly aren't that smart if they're going after you. So what's the plan? Rough them up or…?"

"Doesn't matter. Don't go after the one who doesn't attack. I need them alive."

"Roger that. Hey, no fireballs, yeah?"

Sasuke had already unbuttoned his cloak, which still cheerfully reeked of Sakura's detergent. "Fine."

"Or cheating with funny Sharingan tricks."

"Too late," Sasuke muttered.

The genjutsu he had threaded while Naruto picked berries snapped. In the distance a coarse voice cursed in surprise. Then the trees around them rained shuriken.

Drawing Kusanagi in a fluid motion, Sasuke deflected the first wave back into the canopy. A man tumbled out of the trees with a cry and was immediately silenced by Naruto's fist to his temple. "Two and counting," the idiot crowed, just as a crash of water descended upon the clearing.

Sasuke slashed upwards without looking and ducked as the water dragon exploded with a crackle of electricity. Suddenly the area stank of burned flesh. Dodging a Doton-user trying to pull him underground in a Kakashi-like move, Sasuke called out, "You didn't say no lightning."

Naruto answered with the unmistakeable whirl of the Rasengan, accompanied by the crash of toppling trees. _Sore loser._ Sasuke smirked to himself as he spun to meet the Doton-user's kunai. Kusanagi shredded the other blade right before an impressive granite wall rose up between them. Sasuke took a moment to admire it as he sheathed his sword and steadily filled the air with the sound of a thousand chirping birds.

"You're welcome," Naruto shouted. Then his sixth victim smashed into the wall and conveniently brought it down to reveal the Doton user on the other side, midway through weaving another jutsu.

The man's beard was soaked with sweat and he froze, eyes wide, at the sight of the Chidori in Sasuke's hand. Then those pupils jerked. Mouth open, the man struggled to refocus his gaze on Sasuke, who was now standing so close they could have embraced.

"They didn't pay you enough for this, did they?" Sasuke questioned calmly.

The man tried to laugh and instead gurgled on his own blood. Baring teeth, he whispered, "Enough… for a cripple." Then he finished his final hand seal and his eyes went blank as his entire body seized up in stone, trapping Sasuke's arm in his cold chest.

Sasuke heard Naruto laugh over ringing steel.

It was an annoying, whooping kind of laughter and one time too many that Sasuke had been on the receiving end of it. The moron had laughed himself to tears last night when Sasuke surfaced from the lake with a bruised jaw and ego, having been too surprised to catch himself with chakra before sinking into the water. Sakura had been waiting when he waded up to the shore, trying and failing to hide her sniggers, which broke free when Sasuke raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, not sorry," she'd gasped, holding on to Naruto for support as they both collapsed in peals of laughter. Sasuke had stood over them, dripping wet, while he contemplated the very real possibility that he had underestimated his opponents.

Unfortunately for the men rushing his defenceless back, Uchiha Sasuke never made the same mistake twice.

* * *

Naruto whistled softly as he surveyed the damage. "I didn't think you'd be _that_ pissed about the cripple crack. Didn't I say no Sharingan?"

"I ran out of patience. And you are not helping." Sasuke picked up his discarded cloak, brushing it off. Then he spoke to the smoking wasteland. "Have you seen enough to introduce yourself properly?"

Silence. Twelve charred bodies did not utter a sound between them.

"If I'm not mistaken, that was the first time Susanoo has made an appearance since the war."

Naruto seemed to be caught off guard by the new voice, which Sasuke noted with satisfaction. If this person's skill was such that both of them could only sense their presence but fail to pinpoint the position, then they had been worth Sasuke's time.

"You would know, wouldn't you? You've been shadowing me since the beginning of autumn." Sasuke turned around. He looked meaningfully at the slim figure as they stepped out from the damaged trees. A woman. Of course.

She appeared older than Kakashi, with a full face and short brown hair swept behind one ear. A fluid grace followed the way she walked and reminded Sasuke of Haku, the hunter-nin they had fought on their first C-rank mission. Unlike Haku, this woman did not appear in a kimono, although she certainly looked like she belonged in one. In fact, she gave the impression of someone who could wear anything and blend into any setting.

Promising.

The woman stopped a few feet away from them and bowed with perfect posture. Straightening, she continued to smile at Sasuke.

"Your organisation must have deep pockets to let you send rogues after me every week," he told her.

Naruto, whose jaw had dropped open at the sight of a woman, pulled back abruptly. "Wait, what? This pretty onee-chan been trying to kill you for three months?"

"I didn't say that, dobe."

"But you just said—"

The woman spoke up. "Rest assured, Naruto-chan. I only intended to test him. You'll be glad to hear he passed."

Naruto had heard something entirely different. Sasuke automatically grabbed the idiot's shoulder before he charged. " _Naruto-chan_?! I already thought you had some serious stealth, dango number thirteen—but turns out you also have a death wish. Oi, Sasuke! Lemme go! Don't tell me you're letting her off because she's, well, _beautiful_."

"I'm wounded," the woman sighed. "I took this assignment because I expected to meet you again. You don't remember me?"

Sasuke arched an eyebrow, but the woman looked genuinely disappointed. Naruto, on the other hand, remained in vehement denial. "Nope! No one calls me _Naruto-chan_ except for Ma and Pa, and you don't look like a toad to me."

"Is that the reason? I did look a lot nicer when we met in Otafuku Gai…"

"No offense, onee-chan, but I'd definitely—wait a minute… Otafuku Gai?" Naruto frowned and stopped struggling long enough to squint at her.

"There are three sins a ninja must not commit," the woman recited lightly. "Alcohol, money, and—"

"… Women," Naruto finished. Sasuke watched understanding gradually dawn on his face and decided it was safe to let go. "Don't tell me… you were one of the ladies Ero-sennin kept flirting with when he was supposed to be training me?"

She nodded solemnly. "My name is Kimigiku. And Jiraiya was not merely flirting."

"What do you mean?"

It was Sasuke who answered. "She's one of Jiraiya's informants. And probably the reason his spy network didn't collapse after his death."

Kimigiku smiled modestly. "I'm impressed, Uchiha Sasuke. Few knew about Jiraiya's work, let alone noticed we were still operating. However, I can't take sole credit for that. We agents have always been estranged, common only in where our loyalties lay. When we heard that Jiraiya had… it seemed natural that we came together and waited for the day we could be useful to his only disciple."

Hearing this, Naruto came out of his sombre mood. "Wait. You—and everyone else who worked with Ero-sennin—you've been holding out for _me_?"

"A successful Hokage needs eyes and ears in places ANBU can't reach, no?"

Naruto started to nod, then stopped. "That doesn't make sense. If you're thinking like that, why have you been following Sasuke?"

Kimigiku's eyes flickered to Sasuke's despite the Sharingan still glowing red in his right eye. "You are not yet Hokage, Naruto-chan," she said evenly. "But our organisation needs direction right now… and as you are now, you are not the right leader to provide it."

Blinking, Naruto turned to Sasuke.

"She means they are losing morale without a goal. And you're not the espionage type. Why didn't you go to Kakashi?" Sasuke asked Kimigiku.

She lifted one shoulder. "Simple. Hatake Kakashi will not be Naruto-chan's right hand man in the future."

"What makes you think I would be?"

"What?" Naruto screeched. "Whaddya mean you're not gonna be my right hand man? Sasuke!"

Grimacing, Sasuke leaned away from the sheer volume. Kimigiku smiled with one eyebrow arched. "There we have it. I don't know you very well, Uchiha, but I can safely guess I wouldn't be alive if you weren't interested in my actions. Didn't you bring Naruto-chan out here to prove I could trust you?"

"Do you?"

Kimigiku spoke breezily. "Not particularly. But don't take it personally; it's not in my job description to be trusting."

Sasuke shook his head, and fell silent.

Kakashi was right when they had spoken at the tower. He had travelled alone for almost a year, been to places he wouldn't otherwise have set foot, and met people who surprised him more than he thought his emotions capable. Sasuke hadn't helped people in his path so much as entertained whims of the moment, or slaughtered assassins so much as defended himself where necessary.

Truth be told, Sasuke would have returned to Konoha at some point even if Naruto and Sakura's meddlesome ANBU hadn't interfered. He had breathed different airs from each corner of the world map and taken in all that he could. Without checking in with Naruto and Sakura, and being reminded of how difficult it was for him to stay in the village they loved, Sasuke would soon have questioned what it was he had set out to search for one year ago.

Now someone was telling him there was more of the world to see.

"Sasuke?" Naruto was watching him. He looked like he had processed what was happening now, which was just as well because Sasuke was tired of explaining.

Sasuke just returned his gaze, and Naruto nodded hesitantly. "Well, if that's what you've decided; I'll leave it in your hands… I guess."

Sasuke scanned the evening sky. "Get back to the village, dobe. You'll miss her."

"Sakura-chan? I already do."

" _Naruto._ "

Naruto threw up his hands. "Fine. Kick the handsome boy away after he's handed you a spy network. No point keeping him around now that he's useless." Despite the grumbling, he held out a fist. Knowing he wouldn't let up otherwise, Sasuke bumped it. "Make sure you come home every now and then, all right? See ya, Kimi!"

Sasuke and Kimigiku watched as Naruto took out a yellow tag with a detailed seal pattern, licked it, and slapped it on his forehead. Then he saluted and flickered out of sight.

Kimigiku blinked. "I'm not sure what just happened. Was that the Yondaime Hokage's Hiraishin no Jutsu?"

"A bastardised, inefficient version of it, yes."

"Ah. So it still needs work. I was worried that was the final product." Kimigiku glanced at Sasuke. "We will be busy for some time. Was Naruto-chan the only one you needed to say goodbye to?"

Sasuke looked down at his cloak, draped over his arm. "I don't say goodbyes. They know that." He refastened the cloak around his neck. It flowed over a number of storage scrolls that hadn't been on his belt when he arrived in Konoha. Naruto had rattled off their contents; all Sasuke remembered were cup ramen, insect spray, and shampoo.

"Come on," he said to Kimigiku, walking away. "We have work to do."

"Of course, Uchiha-dono."

"Don't call me that."

"Very well, Sasuke-sama."

* * *

Seeing as it was the first time he had used the technique over such a large distance, Naruto didn't expect a good landing. Still, he didn't think it was too much to ask _not_ to be teleported to a mid-air destination, five storeys from solid ground.

"Oh shit—" He just managed to grab the balcony railing before he plummeted. Dangling by an arm, Naruto ripped the fluttering tag off his face and scrunched it up. Stupid seal obviously needed work. He was, what, _twenty metres_ from the tag he'd been aiming for? That could either end up being a total humiliation or a fatal mistake on the battlefield. "How the heck did Dad do it?" he muttered.

There was the sound of drawing curtains overhead, followed by a sliding door. Light shafted across the back of Naruto's arm. "Naruto-kun? Why are you suddenly here?"

He looked up and grinned at the familiar face. "Hey, Hinata! What are you doing here? Girls' night?"

Framed by light behind her, Hinata looked unsure whether to help him up or not. "We're baking a birthday cake for Ino but… P-Please come up, Naruto-kun. It's not safe."

"Sure. Step back, will you? I don't want to squash you." Naruto swung his lower body and vaulted over the rail. Sure enough, Sakura's balcony was so tiny he nearly crashed into Hinata as she reached out to steady him.

Naruto laughed and dusted his hands. "Phew! Get this, Hinata; I've been trying to figure out my dad's technique for months and tried it just then. I was _supposed_ to pop out at Sakura's front door 'cause that's where I put the seal but _whoop_ —almost went splat on the pavement. Which is sorta what Raidou told me would happen if I didn't prep enough, but hey, I'm still in one piece. So what kind of cake are you guys baking?"

That came out pretty rambling, even to Naruto's own ears. He couldn't help it. Unlike Sasuke, whose silence usually meant he was ignoring him, Hinata listened attentively to everything he said. "We are making strawberry shortcake," she replied softly. "It's Ino's favourite cake, but we are finding it is not as simple as the recipe suggested."

"Aw, it can't be that hard. I always thought you looked like a good cook, Hinata. Weren't you the one who taught Mirai-chan how to—"

"Hinata? Who are you talking to?" Tenten's voice called from inside.

Flushing, Hinata stepped through the door so Naruto could follow. Tenten waved a whisk at him from behind the counter. "Naruto, was that _you_ just then? We thought it was Akamaru chasing another cat," she remarked, beating into a mixing bowl. "What were you doing out on the balcony?"

"Long story," Naruto said, winking at Hinata.

Sakura's kitchen had been transformed into a chaotic arrangement of baking trays and a fine dusting of flour covered most of the furniture. Sakura herself was on the couch with her legs folded beneath her, reading a file. She glanced up impassively when Naruto entered but was quickly drawn back to her reading.

Naruto blanched. Was Sakura so mad about being ditched that she was pretending not to be mad? Because that was _not_ good.

Very casually, he inched towards the couch. "Did you say Akamaru is here?"

Tenten shook her head. "Not right now. He went out with Kiba to buy more baking paper. Sai had to leave for patrol."

"Sai I understand, but Kiba? Since when did Kiba join the sisterhood?" He lowered himself on the couch's arm, right next to Sakura. Still no reaction.

Hinata returned to the kitchen and immediately checked the preheating oven, where Naruto couldn't see her. "Kiba-kun was with me when Sakura asked me to help her plan Ino's party. He decided to come along."

"I see, I see," Naruto said meaningfully, nudging Sakura's shoulder. "And how come you're not helping with this cake, master chef?"

"Failed," Sakura answered without looking up. She was really interested in that file…

"Sakura tried to make the cake by herself before she came to us. Keyword _tried_." Tenten gave Naruto a 'you-know-what-I-mean' look.

"It was a good attempt," Hinata chimed in kindly. "Not all of it was burnt. The crust looked very… crispy."

Right. That explained the raw smell lingering in the apartment. Naruto futilely hoped it also explained why Sakura wasn't paying any attention to him—cleaning burnt kitchen equipment always put her in a tricky mood.

"Sakura-chan, are you mad?"

No answer. Oh dear.

Naruto started speaking very rapidly. "Before you hit me, I just want you to know that it wasn't my idea because I totally wanted you to tag along but it wasn't a big deal anyway because nothing happened—okay, that's a lie. This pretty lady showed up and Sasuke said she'd been stalking him for, like, ages and then they—"

"They what?" Tenten exclaimed, overhearing.

"… That sounded really bad. Forget it. What I meant was—"

"Naruto," Sakura said.

"Yes, ma'am!" Naruto clenched his eyes shut and prayed to Amaterasu for a punch that allowed him to keep all his teeth.

But instead of an unforgiving fist, Sakura pushed paper into his hand. "Read this for me. I need to make sure I'm not hallucinating."

Naruto cracked open an eye. "I'm not in trouble?" he asked.

Finally, Sakura looked at him. "You will be if you don't use the front door next time."

Whooping, Naruto wrapped his arm around her and squeezed. Rolling her eyes, Sakura flapped the file under his nose. "Page twenty-three. Go."

It was the last page of the file. Relieved to see only a short passage printed on it, Naruto made a show of clearing his voice and read aloud: "'This proposal has been reviewed and approved by the Director of Medical Services. It fulfils all ethical codes and responsibilities, and will be im… implack…'"

"Implemented," Sakura supplied impatiently.

"Aha! 'Will be _im-ple-men-ted_ as outlined, subject to evaluation by the Lord Hokage.'" Naruto lowered the file. "So? I don't get it."

"Bottom of the page. Tell me what you see," Sakura said quietly. She leaned forward on her elbows and kneaded her temples. Her behaviour worried Naruto but he didn't dare put the file down. This must be important to Sakura somehow.

Vaguely aware than the kitchen had gone silent as Tenten and Hinata listened in, Naruto searched the lower half of page twenty-three. "It's just lines and signatures. Arrows, handwriting—hey, that's Baa-chan's writing, isn't it? God, it's worse than Kakashi's."

Naruto brought the page to his face as he tried to decipher the scribble. "A… Amendment? Senior Medical Consultant?" He recognised Tsunade's signature next to that line. But there was more below it; crossing out and words scribbled beneath another signature—Sakura's. Tsunade's penmanship was marginally neater here and Naruto read it without pause.

"'Director of Medical Services, Haruno Sakura.'"

Sakura groaned into her hands.

"What? What does it mean?" Naruto turned to Tenten and Hinata. They were staring wide-eyed at each other and didn't notice him.

"Naruto," Sakura said in a strange voice. She dropped her head back and gazed up at him with an expression of conflict and wonder. "I think I've been promoted."

" _Eh_?"

"Who's been promoted?" The balcony door slid open and Kiba ducked in holding a bag of groceries. Akamaru padded in after him. "Thanks for opening the door, guys. I was only knocking for ages. Hey, Naruto. Aren't you supposed to be out on a mission?"

Oblivious to the mood he had walked in on, Kiba set the bag down on the coffee table and flipped off his hood. "Oh yeah," he said, taking something out of his pocket. "Sakura. Shizune told me to give this to you. Looks like you're invited to the fancy meeting too, eh?"

Sakura frowned warily at the scroll he held out. "What meeting?" But Kiba had already turned to Naruto.

"You're back just in time, man. I heard something while I was at the shops: Izumo-san was getting snacks and he said there's a woman at the north gate asking to see you. How does it feel to be in demand?"

"Did they let her in?" Naruto was still distracted by Sakura's daze—but Kiba's next words pierced straight to his heart.

"Don't think so. The way Izumo described her, she's a piece of work. Bad temper and wouldn't take no for an answer, even when the guards told her you were out of the village. She said she knew you were back—lucky guess? There was something else, too… remember, Akamaru? Oh, that's right. Get this: apparently this chick says she's related to you, Naruto. That she's an Uzumaki. Isn't that crazy?"

* * *

A/N: Big cheer for the fastest update yet? Absolutely love love loved writing this chapter. So much so that I haven't touched any of the twenty reports I need to finish... worth it?

Sakura and Ino's mental health clinic comes from what I've read about Sakura Hiden, one of the light novels set after the end of the manga. Getting antsy waiting for the official translation. Just take my money!


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